Creamy Butternut Squash and Chicken Soup

What better comfort food than a warm bowl of Creamy Butternut Squash and Chicken Soup?

This Creamy Butternut Squash and Chicken Soup is everything you want on a cold day. It’s warm, hearty, and comforting. Although at first it may sound like a simple chicken soup, the layers of flavour are much more complex. The soffrito of shallot, celery, carrot, and garlic creates a savoury base. Layered on top of that is my flavourful homemade yoich with it’s chicken and beef notes. Caramelized butternut squash adds a sweet yet savoury element, while the cream and butter finishes the soup with a bit of fat and richness.

TOTAL TIME

• Preparation Time – 10 minutes
• Cooking Time – 55 minutes
• Total Time – 1 hour 5 minutes

INGREDIENTS FOR CREAMY BUTTERNUT SQUASH AND CHICKEN SOUP

All the ingredients for this dish are easy to source from any local grocer.

• 1 medium Butternut Squash
• 1/2 tsp Kosher Salt
• Drizzle Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1/4 cup Cream, 10%
• 1 large Celery Stalk
• 1 Large Carrot
• 1 Shallot
• 3 cloves Garlic
• 2 tbsp Butter
• 4 Chicken Thighs
• 5 cups Chicken Broth
• Pepper, to taste
• 2 Sprigs Fresh Thyme

WHAT IS KOSHER SALT?

Kosher salt has larger crystals than regular iodized salt. Although it is mined from traditional salt mines, it is less processed than normal table salt. It has larger flakes which make it easier to distribute, and therefore less likely to over salt your dish. It also adds some brine, flavour, and crunch.

DO I HAVE TO ROAST THE BUTTERNUT SQUASH?

Absolutely. Roasting the butternut squash caramelizes it and brings out it’s sweetness, making your soup even more delicious.

CAN I LEAVE OUT THE CREAM?

If you really want you can leave out the cream, but the soup won’t be quite as rich and delicious.

CAN I USE A DIFFERENT KIND OF OIL?

Absolutely. Feel free to substitute avocado, vegetable, or canola oil in this recipe.

INGREDIENT SUBSTITUTIONS

CAN I USE A DIFFERENT KIND OF SQUASH IN THIS SOUP?

There are many different types of squash but not all would be equally delicious in this soup. There are several that could be used: both delicata, and acorn squash would work.

CAN I USE CHICKEN BREASTS INSTEAD OF THIGHS?

You can use chicken breasts if you’d like, but they tend to have less flavour than thighs.

CAN I USE STORE BOUGHT BROTH INSTEAD OF HOMEMADE?

I would strongly recommend using homemade broth for two reasons: it’s more flavourful, and this recipe uses the chicken thighs that are cooked in the Instant Pot to make the broth.

CAN I USE LIGHT CREAM?

This recipe uses 10% cream, but if you’d like you can certainly use 5% instead. The result will be a bit lighter, but still delicious.

CAN I USE RAW CHICKEN INSTEAD OF COOKED?

Absolutely not! The chicken is only in the pot for 15 minutes on medium heat. Raw chicken will not cook in that amount of time. The chicken must be cooked before it goes into the pot. I made this recipe to use the chicken from my Chicken Yoich, but you can also use leftover roast chicken if you are using store bought broth.

EQUIPMENT FOR CREAMY BUTTERNUT SQUASH AND CHICKEN SOUP

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Below is a list of the main equipment/kitchen tools needed to make this delicious soup.

• French Oven – I use my Le Creuset French Oven (also known as a Dutch Oven) every time I make large quantities of sauce, slow cooked braised meats, or soup. As with all Le Creuset cast iron dishes, it is extremely heavy and coated in enamel which enables it brown vegetables, then cook ingredients evenly for extended periods of time. It’s one of my most prized kitchen tools, and I can’t recommend it highly enough.

• Baking Sheet – These Nordic Ware baking sheets are the best baking sheets I’ve ever owned. I’ve purchased expensive baking sheets by big brand names, but these reasonably priced Nordic Ware are far superior. They are lightweight, clean easily, cook evenly, and never warp. I can’t recommend these highly enough.

• Kitchen Aid Food Processor – I use my Kitchen Aid Food Processor whenever I need to to finely chop and puree vegetables or a sauce. It works beautifully to chop the vegetables and garlic into a fine mince to create a flavour base for this soup.

• Parchment paper

• Wooden spoon

• Kitchen Knife

• Cutting Board

COOKING DIRECTIONS FOR BUTTERNUT SQUASH AND CHICKEN SOUP

This hearty butternut squash and chicken soup requires some effort, but I promise you it’s worth it. A few simple tricks will help you make a perfect soup your first time.

1. Use my homemade Chicken Yoich as a base.
2. Roast the butternut squash until it’s caramelized.
3. Use the chicken from my Yoich recipe (or another pre cooked chicken).

MAKE AHEAD STORAGE

You can make the yoich up to three days in advance, simply separate the chicken from the broth and refrigerate both.

This soup will keep in the fridge for three days, or in the freezer for several months.

FINISHED DISH

Enjoy this comforting Creamy Butternut Squash and Chicken Soup.

OTHER SOUP DISHES

Flavourful Yoich

Chicken and Potato Soup with Leeks

Lobster Chowder with Shrimp, Scallop and Salmon

Fluffy Matzo Ball Soup

DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?

I’d love to know how it turned out! Please let me know by leaving a comment and rating below and share a picture on Instagram with the hashtag #cooking.with.carbs.

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Did you make this Butternut Squash and Chicken Soup? Did you use our homemade yoich as well? Please tell us what you thought in the comments below!