För recept på svenska, klicka här: Krämig butternutsoppa med krispiga kikärtor
Winter squashes are incredible. They really are. From a storing perspective, they beat all other vegetables. As opposed to being picky about exact degrees and humidity levels, winter squashes can be stored at room temperature without complaining. And they won’t start to look sad and soggy come late winter – oh no, they’ll happily be stored for another 3 months, and another 3 after that. We’ve so far grown our own delicata and acorn squashes, and these are two of our absolute favorites. But the loyal butternut is of course not to be looked down upon – we just haven’t tried growing our yet, much due to the (wonderful) fact that we can buy Swedish-grown at the store for fairly cheap. Until we have unlimited growing space, we choose to grow other things in our garden. When there’s a good deal on butternut squash, we buy half a cart full and then store them in our little guest house/storage space for the winter. Then it almost feels as if we grew them ourselves, as that’s where we store a bunch of our own produce too 🙂
Butternut squash can be used for so many different things, but soup has to be one of the most common applications. We have another recipe for a similar soup here on the website (Butternut Squash Soup with Crispy Chickpeas), and this right here isn’t all that different – but it has been made simpler, with fewer steps and more of a “one-pot” attitude. The result is equally delicious, and it will sure fill you up just the same. And as with all blended soups, this one freezes very well. Crispy chickpeas is just the best soup topping, adding nutrients as well as flavor, and they sure don’t take long to throw together either. Whatever leftover chickpeas you might have, just store in an airtight container and eat as a snack!
4-6 servings
Total Time: 1 hr
Crispy chickpeas
460 g cooked chickpeas (~6 dl), rinsed and drained
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp salt
Soup
1 medium yellow onion (~150 g), chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 medium carrots (~200 g), peeled and sliced into thick coins
1 medium butternut squash (~1.2 kg), peeled, de-seeded and cubed
1 1/2 tbsp bouillon powder (equals 1 1/2 cubes)
3 fresh sage leaves, chopped (can be left out)
1 large apple, peeled and chopped
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
Canola oil, salt and black pepper
- Set the oven to 250ºC. In a medium bowl, place all the ingredients for the crispy chickpeas. Mix well. Place them onto an oven sheet and make sure to spread them out into a single layer – no crowding. Roast in the middle of the oven for 12 min, and then toss thoroughly. Place back in the oven for another 12-14 min or until nice and crispy. Turn off the oven and set aside.
- In the meantime, sauté onion in 2 tbsp of canola oil in a large pot over medium heat. Cook for about 10 min or until soft, stirring frequently. Add in garlic and sauté for a few more minutes, before adding in carrots and butternut squash. Mix well, and then pour in approx. 1.2 liters of water or just until the vegetables are covered. Add bouillon powder, sage and apple. Bring to a boil, lower the temperature and let simmer for about 25 min or until the butternut squash is soft. Turn off the heat.
- Using a stick blender, blend the soup until completely smooth. Stir in cayenne pepper, nutmeg and apple cider vinegar. Season to taste with salt (we typically add 1 tsp, but it depends on the bouillon used) and a generous amount of black pepper.
- Serve the soup in large bowls, topped with lots of crispy chickpeas.
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