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A bowl of Butternut Squash Soup with a heart design made from thinned yogurt.

Butternut Squash Soup with Poblano Chiles

This soup has a southwestern flare with cumin and poblano chiles. Skip the poblano chiles if you must but they're in season when butternut squash is and they add some zip. This recipe is perfect for serving soup shooters at a fancy party.
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Course: Soup
Cuisine: Canadian
Keyword: butternut squash soup
Author: Cinde Little

Ingredients

  • 2 lb butternut squash (about 4 cups cubed squash)
  • 2 poblano chile peppers (optional)
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 small onion chopped
  • 1 garlic clove finely minced
  • t teaspoon cumin
  • 5-6 cups gluten free chicken stock
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon pepper

GARNISHES

  • sour cream*
  • toasted pumpkin seeds
  • cilantro

Instructions

  • Cut squash in half and remove seeds. Place cut side down on a parchment lined baking sheet. (For cubed squash toss with olive oil and place on baking sheet.)
  • Bake in 350°F oven for 45-60 minutes until cooked through. Allow to cool slightly then spoon squash out of skin. Set aside.
  • Blacken poblano chiles over a gas flame or under the broiler, turning to blacken on all sides. Place chiles in plastic bag and steam for 10 minutes. Pull as much blackened skin away from chile as possible. Remove seeds and roughly chop. Set aside.
  • Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat.
  • Sauté onion and garlic until translucent, 4-5 minutes.
  • Add chopped poblano chiles and cumin. Sauté stirring until fragrant, 2-3 minutes.
  • Add squash and chicken stock, bring to a boil and simmer 15 minutes. Cool slightly then puree in batches using a food processor, hand blender or food mill. Return to pot, taste and season with salt and pepper.
  • To serve as soup shooters - Add additional chicken stock to get the desired consistency. Garnish each shooter with sour cream, toasted pumpkin seeds and fresh cilantro.
    Butternut Squash Soup Shooters with Poblano Chiles make an impressive and fun holiday appetizer.
  • To serve in bowls - Make a ring of tiny dots using slightly thickened whipping cream or yogurt thinned with cream. Use a toothpick or skewer to draw a line through the dots creating a heart pattern. Add toasted pumpkin seeds and cilantro if desired.
    Adding dots of thinned yogurt to Butternut Squash Soup to make a design of tiny hearts.

Notes

Kitchen Tip for Cutting Winter Squash - Microwave a whole butternut squash for 1 minute to soften the hard skin and more easily cut it in half.
Soup Shooters – Use a small funnel to pour hot soup into the glasses without getting the sides all messy.  A slightly thinner soup is easier to drink in one or two shots. Garnish as desired.
Variations - Omit the poblano chiles and cumin for a plain Butternut Squash Soup. Substitute carrots for squash and make Roasted Carrot Soup.
For a cream drizzle or heart pattern use thickened whipping cream or yogurt thinned with cream.