Dinner for Two: Creamy Butternut Squash Soup w/ Broiled Fontina Toasts

This is the kind of meal you want to have again and again and again.

And luckily, you can! Because with just 8 ingredients + 45 minutes to make, there’s no reason NOT to be eating this every chance you get.

Soups are an inherently cozy, comforting food, but this creamy butternut squash soup goes to a whole other level. It doesn’t just warm your belly, clear your sinuses, and make you feel healthy + indulgent all at once. Every spoonful is so calming, so soothing, so shake-your-booty satisfying, I’d practically call it medicinal. Like tequila, and pizza at 3am.

But unlike those other natural pharmaceuticals, this is actually, truly good for you. Wholesome butternut squash, an array of seasonings, a dose of vegetable broth, and a splash of half & half — Easy, tasty, perfect.

What’s great about this soup is that it’s made in one skillet + one blender/food processor, so the clean-up is as minimal as the ingredients. You begin with cubed butternut squash tossed in butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon, which sautés for about 20 minutes until tender. Once soft, mash-up the butternut before adding vegetable broth and seasonings to the skillet, then let everything simmer until fragrant. When you’re ready, simply transfer this mixture to a processor or blender to purée return the puréed soup to your skillet, add in the half & half, and voilà!

Soup heaven, in a cinch.

While the puréed butternut + half & half simmers you can prepare the broiled fontina toasts, which take all of two minutes. Obviously you can use any kind of toast or crouton you want, but fontina has a particular mellow-sharpness that works beautifully against the butternut, so it’s def my first choice.

Plus, broiled toasts sound SO much fancier than open-faced grilled cheese, right?!

I love being faux fancy.

The brown sugar + cinnamon mix really brings out the butternut’s innate sweetness, while a kick of cayenne pepper + nutmeg bring out the savory, nutty side of its flavor. In the end you’re left with a soup that’s perfectly balanced, with a lusciously creamy texture that tastes like velvet on a spoon. And if your man (or gal!) is a pain when it comes to veggies, don’t fret! Dave is quite “funny” about vegetables, so when I’m trying to get him to like a new veggie my strategies are always convert. Normally my go-to move is to introduce new veggies with a mixture of breadcrumbs, bacon, and cheese, then slowly remove each masking element over time. But for this soup, I straight-up LIED, knowing full-well that he wouldn’t take even one sip of anything butternut. So in the end I served this as “yellow sweet potato soup”, and guess what?

He loved it.

So if you have a difficult eater in your life, ignore them! Find ways to make them love the things you love, and watch your life — and diet! — improve immensely. xo

Creamy Butternut Squash Soup w/ Broiled Fontina Toasts (8 Ingredients!)

Yield: 2 large bowls or 4-5 cups

Cook Time: 45 mins

Total Time: 45 minutes

Print Recipe

Ingredients:

• SOUP:
• 3 tbsps salted butter
• 1lb butternut squash, cubed
• 1 tbsp brown sugar
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1 1/2 cups vegetable broth
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• a few pinches salt & pepper
• 1/2 cup half & half
• fresh thyme to garnish (optional)

• TOASTS:
• 5 oz French baguette, sliced
• extra virgin olive oil and/or cooking spray
• 1/2 cup fontina cheese, shredded (or more if you’d like!)

Directions:

1. In a large skillet melt the butter over a medium flame, then stir in the butternut squash, brown sugar, and cinnamon, combining well. Cover skillet and allow ingredients to saute for 20 – 25 minutes until tender, stirring occasionally.
2. Once the butternut has tenderized, thoroughly mash it with a potato masher. Next, add the vegetable broth, cayenne pepper, nutmeg, and salt & pepper to the skillet, then cover once more and allow everything to simmer for 5 minutes. When ready, transfer mixture to food processor or high-powered blender, then blend until smooth. Pour the soup back into the skillet, then lastly stir in the cream (add more salt here if needed). Reduce flame to low and keep soup warm.
3. Pre-heat oven to broil.
4. Brush baguette slices with EVOO or cooking spray, then transfer to baking sheet. Gently brown on oven middle rack for 2-3 minutes, then top each slice with fontina cheese and broil again until melted and crisp.
5. When ready serve the butternut soup with additional drizzles of half & half and fresh thyme, if desired. Enjoy the toasts for dunking!

face-plant central.

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