Martha Stewart’s butternut squash soup simmers peeled squash and sweet Vidalia onion in chicken broth with thyme, then gets pureed until silky smooth, with crispy bacon on top. It serves 12 in about 1 hour.
Her team published this recipe on marthastewart.com as a no-cream approach to fall soup, and the richness comes entirely from the squash itself cooked down in butter and broth. She serves it in small glasses as a party appetizer, though it works just as well in bowls for a weeknight dinner.
Cooking the onion low and slow for a full 15 minutes before the squash goes in is what builds the sweetness the soup depends on. Rush the onion and the base tastes flat and one-note, because undercooked allium adds sharpness that no amount of blending will smooth out.
Martha Stewart Butternut Squash Soup
Course: Sides, SoupsCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy12
servings25
minutes35
minutes130
kcal1
hour5
minutesButter-softened sweet onions and cubed butternut squash simmer in chicken broth with thyme until completely tender, then get blended into a velvety puree that needs no cream at all. Crispy bacon strips laid across each serving add salt and crunch.
Ingredients
6 slices bacon, cut in half crosswise
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 sweet onion, such as Vidalia or Walla Walla, coarsely chopped (about 3 cups / 400g)
2 1/2 lb (1.1kg) butternut squash, peeled, halved, seeded, and cut into 1-inch (2.5cm) pieces (about 6 cups)
3 sprigs thyme
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
1 3/4 cups (420ml) chicken broth
1 3/4 cups (420ml) water
Directions
- Cook the bacon. Cook the bacon in a large pot over medium heat, flipping once, until brown and crisp, about 15 minutes. Drain on paper towels. Discard the fat from the pot but do not wipe it clean.
- Soften the onion. Melt the butter in the same pot over medium heat. Cook the onion, stirring occasionally, until softened and golden, about 15 minutes.
- Simmer the squash. Add the squash, thyme, 1 tablespoon salt, broth, and water. Increase heat to high and bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover, and simmer until the squash is completely tender, 12 to 15 minutes. Discard the thyme sprigs.
- Puree until smooth. Working in batches, puree the soup in a blender until very smooth. Return to the pot, season with salt and pepper, and cover to keep warm or reheat gently.
- Serve. Ladle into bowls or heatproof glasses and top each serving with the crispy bacon.
Notes
- The bacon and soup can both be made up to 3 days ahead. Cool completely and store separately in the refrigerator.
- Recrisp the bacon on a baking sheet in a 300F (150C) oven for about 10 minutes while you reheat the soup over low heat.
- To cut onions without crying, chill them in the fridge for about 30 minutes first. The cold slows down the enzymes that cause irritation.
FAQs
Why does this soup skip cream when most butternut squash recipes use it?
Butternut squash is naturally starchy and slightly sweet, so once you puree it smooth, the texture already reads as creamy and rich. Adding heavy cream would mask the clean squash flavor and make the soup heavier than it needs to be.
The butter and the rendered bacon fat left in the pot add just enough richness to round things out. If you have ever made a butternut soup that tasted muted and overly thick, cream was probably hiding the squash instead of helping it.
Why cook the onion for a full 15 minutes before adding the squash?
Sweet onions like Vidalia contain a lot of natural sugar, but that sugar only comes forward after long, gentle cooking. Fifteen minutes over medium heat caramelizes the edges and turns the raw sharpness into a mellow sweetness that disappears into the puree.
If you add the squash too early, the onion never gets that head start and the finished soup tastes flat. The squash needs only 12 to 15 minutes to get tender, so it would overcook badly if it went in at the same time. Patience with the onion is what separates a rich, layered soup from a bland one.
Can you roast the squash instead of simmering it?
Roasting concentrates flavor through browning, but it changes this recipe in ways that work against the technique. The simmered squash breaks down completely in the broth, which is what gives the soup its body without cream.
Roasted cubes hold their shape better and produce a slightly grainier texture when blended, plus you lose the starchy cooking liquid that thickens the puree. If you want roasted squash flavor, her baked potato uses the same oven-forward approach for a side dish that pairs well with this soup.
What is the safest way to blend hot soup?
Never fill a blender more than halfway with hot liquid, and hold the lid down firmly with a folded kitchen towel. Steam pressure builds fast inside a sealed blender and can blow the lid off, so leave the center cap slightly open to vent.
Blend in small batches and pour each one back into the pot before loading the next. An immersion blender works directly in the pot if you have one, though the texture may not get as perfectly smooth. Either way, blending in stages is safer than rushing it.
How long does butternut squash soup keep, and does it freeze well?
Her page says up to 3 days in the fridge stored separately from the bacon, and the soup actually improves on day two as the flavors settle. Reheat gently over low heat and recrisp the bacon in a 300F (150C) oven for 10 minutes.
The soup also freezes well for up to 3 months in airtight containers. Thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat on the stovetop, adding a splash of broth if it thickened. For a make-ahead dessert to round out the same fall menu, her sugar cookies freeze just as reliably.
