Our Butternut Squash Soup Has a Magic Ingredient (2024)

FAQs

How to fix bland butternut squash soup? ›

Cook any spices in oil with your aromatics to release their flavors. If you just add spices to water or broth some compounds won't contribute as much. You can use sweet spices like cinnamon and nutmeg, or go savory with things like cumin, coriander, sumac, and cayenne.

Simple Ingredients

You'll only need eight basic ingredients to make this luscious soup: butternut squash, olive oil, butter, shallot, garlic, vegetable broth, maple syrup and nutmeg.

TIPS: You can save time by buying butternut squash already cubed from your grocery store's produce section. Make sure the squash is fork tender before blending. If you blend too soon, your soup will be grainy, not smooth.

Why does my butternut squash soup taste bitter? The growing conditions of the gourd can impact the taste of the flesh. This may cause an elevated production of cucurbitacin in the squash, resulting in a slightly bitter taste. You can balance it with a little bit of salt and sweetener like honey or pure maple syrup.

If it's underripe, the squash won't have developed its signature taste. If it's overripe, it may be dry, mushy or flavorless.

Perk up a Bland Soup With Simple Pantry Staples

Add a splash of vinegar (any kind!), or a squeeze of citrus. Chances are, you could use a little more salt. Go ahead—it's ok. Salt perks up flat flavors and helps balance out bitter-tasting ingredients.

According to the Taste Atlas Awards, the international food database, the Filipino favorite, Sinigang, is hailed as the best soup in the world.

Butternut Squash: Butternut squash is a superb source of beta-carotene, vitamin C, and fiber, all of which can contribute to lower inflammation levels. Blend butternut squash into soups or roast it with a touch of cinnamon for a sweet and savory side dish.

Supports healthy digestion: The fiber in butternut squash helps maintain a healthy digestive system, preventing constipation and promoting regular bowel movements.

Young plants will need protection from slugs, snails and aphids after planting out. Later in the season, butternut squash can succumb to powdery mildew and cucumber mosaic virus. Keep plants well-watered and look for varieties that have good disease resistance.

How do you balance the sweetness of butternut squash soup? ›

Dry cooking methods such as roasting and sauteeing tend to bring a squash's sugars to the fore. You might want to blanch or par-cook the squash in a little bit of water before sauteeing; that would diminish the sweetness somewhat but allow you to finish the dish in the prescribed fashion.

If your soup has too much onion, one effective way to balance the flavor is by diluting it with broth or water. Start by removing a portion of the soup and setting it aside. In a separate pot, heat up some vegetable or chicken broth, or simply water, and gradually add it to the soup while tasting along the way.

How to cook Butternut squash. You can eat the skin, so there's no need to peel it. Simply halve it, scoop out the seeds and chop it into chunks, then roast it and add it to a warm winter salad or throw it into curries, stews or soups.

How do I thicken butternut squash soup? If you find the soup is too thin, try adding pureed white beans to the soup. You can also use a small amount of cornstarch or arrowroot powder mixed with water (called a slurry) to thicken it up. Use a 1-to-2 ratio (for example, 1 teaspoon of cornstarch to 2 teaspoons of water).

If a soup is tasting bland in the bowl, consider adding acid rather than salt. A squeeze of lemon or lime, or a dash of yogurt or sour cream can add brightness to the bowl. Our Lemony Chicken Soup will make your mouth water.

No doubt, squash's flavor issues stem from the fact that it's mostly water. Being as much as 95 percent H2O, it's no surprise that it tastes a lot like water, which is to say, bland.

Braise your winter squash in stock to enhance its flavor -- try adding a glug of maple syrup to the stock to bring out the squash's sweetness. Or give it an Asian kick by braising it in mix of dashi, mirin, soy, and chili garlic paste. Turn the heat up on your standard roast and caramelize your squash.