Creamy Butternut Squash Soup with Sherry
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Author Notes: I've been making the same basic butternut squash soup for years, adding twists and tweaks as I see fit, and it never fails to satisfy me when a chill enters the air. It's smooth and creamy, the way I think squash soup should be, and it's the perfect thing to whip up over the weekend to have in your fridge all week long. This version relies on sherry for depth and a little intrigue -- if you don't have sherry on hand, you can skip it, or just substitute with brandy (Madeira would be nice) if you have some lying around. - merrill
Serves 4 to 6
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 large leek, white and light green part only, chopped (about 1 cup)
- 1 3-to-4-pound butternut squash, peeled and cubed
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- Salt to taste
- 3 tablespoons dry sherry, plus more to finish
- 2 to 3 cups chicken stock
- 1 cup milk
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream, plus more for serving
- Melt the butter in a large stockpot over medium-low heat. Add the leek and cook, stirring with a wooden spoon, until softened—this should take about 5 minutes (if leek starts to brown, add a tablespoon or so of water).
- Add the squash, nutmeg, pepper and 1/2 teaspoon salt and continue to cook for another 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Add the sherry and cook for a couple of minutes to reduce, then add enough chicken stock just to cover the squash (if you have added all of the stock and still need more liquid, add some water).
- Increase the heat to high and bring the soup to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, partially covered, for about 20 minutes, or until the squash is tender.
- Using a blender or a food processor, blend the soup with the milk in several batches, adding more liquid if necessary.
- Return to the pot and heat until just simmering. Taste and add more salt and pepper if necessary. Stir in another splash of sherry and the cream just before serving, adding a drizzle of cream to garnish each bowl if you like.
- This recipe is a Community Pick!
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28 days ago mrs_ritchie15
Who says you can only have butternut soup in the fall?! I didn't have cooking sherry on hand, but I added brown sugar and a touch of hazelnut extract. Delish. Try using a stick blender if you have one, that way you can blend the soup right in the pot without the hassle of transferring.
7 months ago Sauertea
Made it today? Amazing recipe!!! Definitely a do over!!
7 months ago Nushin
Thanks for your input -- when I reheated it I added a little sherry, nutmeg and some brown sugar as you suggested and everyone LOVED it!! I served it with a dollop of creme fraiche and sprinkled a few pomegranate seeds on top - YUM and looked beautiful. Thanks for your help!
7 months ago merrill
Merrill is a co-founder of Food52.
So glad it worked out!
7 months ago biennourri
I make this soup frequently and I've used the TJ's pre-cut squash for this soup before and it seemed fine. Maybe the squash was old?
7 months ago Nushin
HELP! I made this soup in the past and it was sweet and AWESOME. I doubled the recipe to serve for Thanksgiving and just tasted it and it is bland, not rich, not sweet. Hard to explain. The only thing I did differently was used pre-cut butternut squash from Trader Joe's -- do you think this impacted the flavor? What should I add to make it sweeter? More nutmeg? More sherry? Should I add cinnamon?? it looks BEAUTIFUL but I need to spice it up and am not sure what what ingredient. Thanks so much.
7 months ago merrill
Merrill is a co-founder of Food52.
So sorry to hear this! I'm afraid it was probably the squash -- maybe it wasn't fully ripe when it was cut, or it may have been sitting around for a while. Without tasting the soup, it's hard to recommend a specific fix, but you could try adding a little more sherry and maybe some brown sugar for sweetness/richness, and definitely a bit more nutmeg. Did you season it well with salt? Salt can do wonders to help coax out the other flavors.
8 months ago Nushin
I made this last night and LOVED it! I used skim milk and skipped the heavy cream. I am thinking about serving this for Thanksgiving also -- do you think I can make this a few days ahead and keep refrigerated?
8 months ago merrill
Merrill is a co-founder of Food52.
Glad it worked out! You can definitely make it 2-3 days ahead if you keep it in the fridge.
8 months ago Nushin
Thanks -- one more question -- have you ever substitute almond milk or coconut milk for whole milk or heavy cream? Thanks.
8 months ago merrill
Merrill is a co-founder of Food52.
I haven't. Coconut milk sounds like a great idea, though.
8 months ago Nushin
Can I use skim milk versus whole milk? Will kids eat this soup given that "sherry" is an ingredient?
8 months ago merrill
Merrill is a co-founder of Food52.
You can, yes, but you can also leave the milk out altogether and just use an extra cup of stock when making the soup. And kids should enjoy this soup -- the sherry (except for the splash you add at the end, which is optional) gets cooked so the alcohol evaporates.
9 months ago ChefJune
Well now, I SERIOUSLY want to cook this soup! It just shrieks "FALL!!!!"
Wow, Merrill! Just plain ole' WOW!
9 months ago PhoebeLapine
I made this yesterday for a client and it was so good. I used even less milk and no cream, and it was still rich, silky and delicious! xo Phoebe
over 1 year ago Lucytron
Wonderful! I made this last night exactly as written. It was comforting and rich, as promised.
over 1 year ago ChristineN
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over 1 year ago Miche
Can this be made with already cooked squash? I hate the peeling and cutting and have gotten into the habit of roasting butternut squash whole.
over 1 year ago dani
Made this again. Boy it's good! Love this time of year for wonderful, hardy soups.
over 1 year ago fromage
Oh! So good! This is one of those fabulous recipes that is just so clean, without any 'fluff' needed to cover up lack of taste. Few ingredients combine to make a big full tasting soup. And, bonus, it's quick and easy. This will become a regular on the winter rotation!
over 1 year ago KatieSid
This soup came together so quickly -- and the sherry gives it fantastic depth of flavor. This will definitely make into my winter soup repertoire.
over 1 year ago dani
This is the third recipe that I've made from the holiday app. I can't tell you how inspiring the app is. Best cook book ever! Anyway, made it ahead ffor dinner with friends after Thanksgiving. Taste test is great! Happy Thanksgiving!
over 1 year ago merrill
Merrill is a co-founder of Food52.
What a nice thing to say! So glad you're enjoying the app, and Happy Thanksgiving to you too!
over 1 year ago Lisa Kula
This soup is absolutely amazing! My whole family loved it.
over 1 year ago merrill
Merrill is a co-founder of Food52.
Thanks!
over 1 year ago biennourri
The sherry was an excellent addition. It will be hard for me to make another butternut soup since I will always be comparing it to this one.
over 1 year ago merrill
Merrill is a co-founder of Food52.
What a nice compliment!
over 1 year ago Rhonda35
Merrill, your soup was a huge favorite at my book launch party - I think we all have made it at least once since that night!
over 1 year ago merrill
Merrill is a co-founder of Food52.
So glad you liked it!