Butternut squash soup with fresh, bright lemon and rich tahini is fragrant, light and delicious.
Squash Time
The winter squash harvest is just beginning – what a happy thought, when summer is on the wain! I love butternut squash and add one to my basket with every shop.
Butternuts are really quite good for you; fat free, high in fibre, low GI, and low in calories. They are also packed with beta carotene, vitamin C and the minerals selenium, zinc, manganese, magnesium and potassium.
I love the versatility of these pretty veg. They can be baked, roasted, boiled, spiralized, puréed or fried. Even the seeds are delicious when gently toasted. I often keep a tub of roasted squash in the fridge or freezer, ready to use. I love them in salads, stir fries, smoothies and fritattas.
Butternut Squash Soup with Lemon and Tahini
This butternut squash soup with lemon and tahini is brightly flavoured with a velvety soft texture. It’s a light soup that I first made on a cool spring day, but I think it’s perfect all year round. As we move towards autumn, I love the marriage of the summery elements of the southern Mediterranean with the sweet autumnal squash.
The secret is to bake the butternut squash, to concentrate and sweeten the flavour. The tahini adds depth and a velvet smoothness while the lemon lifts the soup and gives it a summery zing. The three simple flavours combine to make a rounded whole, with layers of taste that really need nothing more.
How to Make Butternut Squash, Tahini & Lemon Soup
Step one – Cut the butternut squash in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds. Bake at GM4/180°C/350°F for about 30 mins until the flesh is soft. There’s no need for a tray, as you can just put the squash cut side up on the oven shelf.
Step two – While the squash is baking, peel and roughly chop the onion and garlic. Heat the oil in the bottom of a deep pan. Sweat in the oil until translucent and starting to turn golden brown.
Step three – Remove the squash from the oven. Scoop out the flesh and discard the skin. Then add to the pan along with the stock, tahini and lemon.
Step four – Simmer for 5 minutes. Then blend the soup in a food processor or with a stick blender.
Step five – Serve butternut squash soup with lemon and tahini piping hot, garnished with some snipped chives or your favourite herbs.
Hints & Tips
- When using butternut squash, bake or roast it first to draw out water and concentrate the flavours. You can bake the flesh in the skin, so there is no need for a roasting tin.
- This soup freezes well, so make extra and save for winter days when you come home cold and in a hurry for something warming.
Variations
- If you like spices, experiment by adding cumin, allspice and chilli – all work well with the flavours in this butternut squash soup.
- Try using pumpkin instead of butternut squash – the small Hokkaido variety would work well.
Butternut Squash, Tahini & Lemon Soup
Ingredients
- 1 butternut squash ( medium size)
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion
- 2 cloves garlic
- 750 ml vegetable stock
- 1 tsp tahini
- 1 lemon ( zest and juice)
Instructions
- Cut the butternut squash in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds. Bake at GM4/180°C/350°F for about 30 mins until soft. There's no need for a tray. Just put the squash cut side up on the oven shelf.
- While the squash bakes, peel and roughly chop the onion and garlic. Fry the onion in the oil in a deep pan for a few minutes, and then add the garlic. Cook until the onion is translucent and starting to turn golden brown.
- Remove the squash from the oven and discard the skin. Add to the pan along with the stock, tahini and lemon.
- Simmer for 5 mins, and blend in a food processor or with a stick blender.
- Serve piping hot, garnished with some chives, a sprinkle of chili flakes and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Notes
Hints & Tips
- When using butternut squash, bake or roast it first to draw out water and concentrate the flavours. You can bake the halves without the need for a roasting tin.
- This soup freezes well, so make extra and save for winter days when you come home cold and in a hurry for something warming.
Variations
- If you like spices, cumin, allspice and chilli work well with the flavours in this butternut squash soup.
- Try using pumpkin instead of butternut squash – the small Hokkaido variety would work well.
If you love velvet smooth soups you may like my spiced pumpkin, carrot and sweet potato soup
or try a butternut squash, cranberry, apple and carrot juice.
If you love squash, you may also like
- Camilla’s spelt butternut squash cake
- Kates squash & kale pearl barley risotto
- Laura’s squash and sage risotto
Joanna
This sounds great. I wouldn’t have thought to put tahini in, so I’m going to try it. Other squash though, as I don’t have a butternut, and this year’s haven’t got going yet.
Thanks for sharing
Joanna
Helen
Goodness me Joanna, that is the quickest that anyone has ever commented on a post on my blog. I have not even managed to get the photo up yet!
I think it will work with any squash, pumpkin, courgette or marrow.
H
kathryn
What a lovely idea to put some tahini in your soup. I shall have to try that one out. We’re into pumpkin and soup season here in Australia.
And I had NO IDEA you could melt stick blenders. I’ve never thought to be cautious about blending hot soup. Yikes.
Christie @ fig & cherry
Grey? Raining? Isn’t it meant to be the beginning of your Summer?
I’m sorry!
Gorgeous recipe though. I agree with Kathryn, tahini is a lovely addition.
Alfie
Thanks for stopping by my blog! – this soup looks, and sounds so wonderful. I’ve had the same experience with stick blenders myself!! :o))
Helen
Kathryn – It was a very cheap Tesco economy stick blender, I should treat myself to a better one, but it did the job well until I melted it!
Christie – the weather has warmed up finally – I am keeping my fingers crossed that it stays sunny.
Alfie – I am glad that it is not just me that destroys blenders!
kathryn
I made both this soup and your Asian inspired white bean dip on the weekend. Both are bloody delicious and easy to make.
I’ve been having the dip on toast for breakfast. But I’m also going to use it to spark up my lunch today – a salad wrap.
My partner R doesn’t like pumpkin, but he highly enjoyed your soup – with the citrus and tahini richness. So thanks for posting both of these.
Helen
Kathryn,.
I am so glad that you made and enjoyed this! I have had if again from the freezer and it was even better!
Yogi Kitchen
We will have to try this one soon, tahini is Adam’s favourite ingredient so we are always looking for new recipes that use it in unique ways. We should do a full tahini cook book!
shuhan
that sounds delicious! I love butternut squash, all squashes in fact.I was addicted to tahini a whole ago, just straight out of the jar like peanut butter, and bought like 10 jars of the stuff. Now I’ve weaned myself off my addiction, I’m at a loss as to what to do with all these jars of tahini, glad to have found a way to use them!
Kate | The Veg Space
Oooh, you had me at tahini and lemon – this sounds totally delicious, really lovely flavours. Thanks for linking to my risotto!
Helen
I love this soup – such a delicate flavour and beautiful texture.
Camilla
I love Butternut Squash soup but have never had tahini it so really want to try this now, it looks so creamy and delicious! Thanks for including my recipe;-)
Helen
It makes such a difference to the texture. I suppose you could use a nut butter too.
Nayna Kanabar
I love butternut squash soup and always look for new days to cook it. Not tried adding tahini before so you have given me a new idea.
Helen
It is a twist on peanut butter. It makes the most amazing texture.
Elizabeth
Mmm yum! I just happen to have all of these ingredients on hand! I think I might have to make this for lunch today!
Helen
It is my absolute favourite soup. A ray of sunshine in a bowl.
Sara
This looks fantastic. I love squash and was just talking to my husband about needing to find new ways to prepare it as summer arrives and our gardens are producing a bounty of yellow and butternut squash!
Helen
I adore both squash and pumpkin – I wish they were more of a British thing, as there really are not very many varieties available. So jealous of your vegetable patch!