Carrot and butternut squash soup recipe

This carrot and butternut squash soup serves six people and has 149 calories per portion. 

Homemade soups are a brilliant, hearty and affordable meal. We’ve topped it with creme fraiche and parsley but you can omit these if you don’t have them in the fridge. A drizzle of double cream at the end adds some richness but it will also increase the calorie count. For some crunch, try serving with toasted nuts or seeds. 

Ingredients

• 2 onions chopped
• 1tbsp sunflower oil
• 1 butternut squash, peeled and diced
• 4 carrots, peeled and sliced
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves only
• Salt and freshly crack black pepper
• 1.5 litres hot vegetable stock
• 6tbsp Crème fraiche, for serving
• 1tbsp parsley, chopped for garnishing

Method

1. In a large pan, fry the onions in oil until translucent and soft. Add squash and carrots and stir, cooking for a further 5 minutes. Add thyme and season well with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Pour over stock and bring to boil. Allow to simmer gently for 30 minutes, or until vegetables are cooked through.
2. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly. Using a hand blender or a liquidiser, blend to a smooth soup. If too thick, add a little more stock until desired consistency is achieved.
3. Divide soup into bowls and serve with a dollop of crème fraiche and parsley.

Watch how to make carrot and butternut squash soup

Top tip for making carrot and butternut squash soup

For a fiery kick, fry a diced chilli with the onions in step one or serve with some chilli flakes instead. always taste the fresh chilli before adding it all to the recipe so you can assess the heat. The smallest chillies are often the spiciest. 

We love our soup served with lightly toasted pine nuts, sprinkled on top. Just dry fry them in a pan for one-to-two minutes before serving. Continue reading for more tips and tricks. 

For this recipe you’ll need a blender to achieve a smooth soup. Although a food processor is fine, we like to use a stick blender as it saves washing up! 

Ninja Foodi 2-in-1 Hand Blender & Hand Mixer - <a href="https://amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B0B975J7RV/?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_plhdr=t&aaxitk=8ad097c0a7194f5057f5c6bb7b9400c5&hsa_cr_id=0&qid=1695644469&sr=1-1-e0fa1fdd-d857-4087-adda-5bd576b25987&ref_=sbx_be_s_sparkle_lsi4d_asin_0_img&pd_rd_w=E8pbw&content-id=amzn1.sym.25f7c301-a223-4ff8-91c9-accfeab9fda8%3Aamzn1.sym.25f7c301-a223-4ff8-91c9-accfeab9fda8&pf_rd_p=25f7c301-a223-4ff8-91c9-accfeab9fda8&pf_rd_r=QXNZRQ84NKW4SFSTQZ3T&pd_rd_wg=hyZ9w&pd_rd_r=3a67cd6f-5afa-4896-b246-3edb08979c12&tag=hawk-future-21&ascsubtag=hawk-custom-tracking-21" data-link-merchant="Amazon UK"" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">View at Amazon 

Two very useful kitchen devices in one! This hand blender has an attachment that makes blitzing soup in the saucepan a breeze but it can also be swapped to function as a mixer which is useful when making cakes or whisking egg whites for meringue. 

Learn how to cook butternut squash with our simple guide. If you’re looking for more soup inspo, our cream of tomato soup is very easy and this tomato soup takes under an hour to make.