Oooh it’s been chilly! These cool winter nights call for nice hot comfort food, and tonight I’m putting a twist on a classic by sharing my recipe for Asian butternut squash soup, with a creamy ricotta crema!
What an insanely busy week. I mean insanely busy! Did you guys feel the same way? I had two of the busiest nonstop days at work I’ve had in a long time, and I need a nice cozy weekend today. This soup is just perfect for that! I absolutely love a good homemade soup like tomato, carrot, or in this case: butternut squash! I paired it with some tasty Asian flavors, including ginger, fish sauce, sesame oil, soy, and hoisin. They give the butternut squash such a luxurious flavor! I paired the soup with a creamy ricotta crema for a refreshing touch, fresh cilantro, and crusty bread on the side for dipping, of course!
Related: Goat Cheese Ravioli with Roasted Carrot Soup
Now it’s your turn: what is your favorite winter comfort soup? Share with me by commenting below!
- 1 large butternut squash (about 3 lbs.), halved and seeded
- 2 tbsp. unsalted butter
- 2 shallots, minced
- 2 tsp. garlic, minced
- 1 tsp. ginger, grated
- 3 cups vegetable stock
- 1 tsp. fish sauce
- 1 tbsp. sesame oil
- 2 tsp. soy sauce
- 1 tbsp. hoisin
- ½ lime, juiced
- ½ cup fresh ricotta
- 1 tbsp. heavy cream
- 2 tsp. lemon juice
- ¼ tsp. kosher salt
- ¼ cup cilantro, roughly chopped
- Crusty bread, for dipping
- Heat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Place butternut squash cut side down on a baking sheet and roast in heated oven for 50-60 minutes until fork tender. Let cool for 10 minutes before scooping out the flesh and cutting roughly into 1 inch cubes (squash should be mushy, that's okay!).
- In a large Dutch oven, melt butter over medium heat. Add shallots and sauté until they begin to caramelize, about 3-4 minutes. Add garlic and ginger and cook for 1 minute, stirring occasionally. Add roasted squash cubes, vegetable stock, fish sauce, sesame oil, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, and lime juice and stir to combine. Cook over medium heat for 10-12 minutes. Using an immersion blender or a Vitamix to puree soup until smooth and creamy. Return to pot and cook over low heat for 3-5 minutes more.
- While soup is cooking, prepare ricotta crema. Whisk together ricotta, heavy cream, lemon juice and salt in a small mixing bowl and set aside.
- Serve soup with ricotta crema, fresh cilantro and crusty bread.