Sheet pan soups are trending on social media. The innovative technique is simple: cook the vegetables in the oven, then puree them in a blender with stock. It’s a hands-free soup.
Sound too good to be true? I’m happy to report the sheet pan soup technique works like a charm with butternut squash.
Pre-cubed butternut squash is combined with a basic mirepoix of onion, carrot and celery plus a handful of peeled garlic cloves. The result is greater than the sum of its parts. The key to a successful sheet pan soup is to cook the vegetables at a lower temperature, which gently coaxes the flavors from the vegetables.
Often root vegetables are roasted at a higher temperature to caramelize the sugars. Cooking the vegetables at a lower temperature concentrates the natural flavors of the vegetables. For this recipe, the vegetables are cooked at a lower heat to incur less charring, which results in a bold and vibrantly colored orange butternut squash soup, instead of a muddy brown one.
This recipe for Sheet Pan Butternut Squash Soup is as simple as it can be. It could be garnished with chopped herbs, sauteed apples or pears, or pepita seeds for a bit of crunch, but much like this sheet pan soup technique, sometimes simplest is best.
Sheet Pan Butternut Squash Soup
- 1 1/2 pounds peeled and cubed butternut squash
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 carrot, chopped
- 1 celery, chopped
- 5 cloves garlic, peeled
- 3 cups reduced-fat low-sodium chicken stock
- ½ teaspoon coarse kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground white pepper
- Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with a nonstick silicone baking mat or parchment paper. Place the squash, onion, carrot, celery and garlic on the prepared sheet pan in a single layer. Spray the vegetables with nonstick cooking spray. Transfer to the oven and cook until the squash is tender, about 1 hour.
- Working in batches, transfer half the vegetables and half the stock to the blender jar. (To avoid a soup explosion, fill the blender jar no more than halfway and use a clean kitchen towel over a loosely fitted lid to cover the top and protect your hands.) Puree until desired consistency. Leave it coarse and chunky if you prefer a more rustic soup or puree until smooth for a more elegant soup. Transfer pureed soup to a medium saucepan.
- Repeat with remaining vegetables and stock, and transfer the second batch to the saucepan. Add salt and pepper, stirring to combine. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat to heat through. Serve immediately.
Serves 4.
Per serving: 131 calories (percent of calories from fat, 8), 6 grams protein, 28 grams carbohydrates, 6 grams total sugars, 5 grams fiber, 1 gram total fat (trace saturated fat), no cholesterol, 214 milligrams sodium.
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