Make Ahead

Hot-Honey Butternut Squash Soup

September 16, 2015
5
2 Ratings
Photo by Bobbi Lin
  • Serves 4 to 6
Author Notes

Hot AND comfy... like taking a nap with Jean Dujardin. —Corinne Cuozzo

Test Kitchen Notes

This is a wonderful butternut squash soup: creamy, spicy, and sweet. I didn't have any hot honey, so I combined honey with 1 teaspoon of crushed red pepper, and was happy with the heat. I also found the soup really benefited from a splash of cider vinegar to brighten it, but even without it's delightful. —Katherine Perry

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Ingredients
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1 small onion, chopped
  • 3 garlic cloves, chopped
  • 1 tablespoon ground ginger
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and diced (use two if they're small)
  • 1 Idaho potato, peeled and diced
  • 3 cups chicken or vegetable stock
  • 1/2 cup cream
  • 2 tablespoons hot honey (like Mike's), plus more to taste
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Directions
  1. In a large pot, heat the butter and sauté the onions and garlic until softened. Add the ground ginger and cumin. Do not burn the garlic. Next, add the squash, potato, and chicken stock and cook, covered, on high heat until the squash is cooked and softened. If you don't allow the squash to cook fully, the texture will not be nice when blended, so that is an important step.
  2. Allow to cool. Blend in batches until the entire soup is puréed and creamy. Return to the pot, add the cream and hot honey, stir well, and allow to simmer on low heat for another 30 minutes. Finish by adding salt and pepper to taste.
  3. Please note you will most likely need to adjust the amounts in this recipe, because the flavor will depend on how large and sweet your squash is, how heavy your cream is, and also how hot your honey is, not to mention that small things, such as the age of your ground spices, can affect their flavor. So be ready to taste and alter a couple times before serving. Serve with a big crusty baguette or with a dollop of sour cream or crème fraîche and some chopped chives.
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12 Reviews

Elaine May 3, 2020
Hi all! Love the recipe! Love the comments too! Cooking is like catching a ball and running with it! I omitted the cream and used honey with piment d'Espelette. The addition of a hot honey mixture is a great idea, as is the additional half hour slow cooking. Results are mellow with a little heat. I will make this soup again and again... and probably tweak it a bit every time but then, that's what cooking is all about.
Ernest C. January 20, 2019
I’m all in! I tried this recipe for two reasons: 1) I’ve had butternut squash soup at restaurants and was satisfied but unimpressed, and 2) I just bought some Mike’s Hot Honey and was searching for different ways to use it. So I thought I can make a better soup. I thought I’d make it vegan-ish (Ok, I used butter to sauté the onions!). I opted coconut cream for dairy cream. Once I got the seasoning right, this soup hits the spot on a cold winter’s night. My new seasonal favorite!
Ernest C. January 20, 2019
P.S. I also used some already roasted sweet potato instead of the Idaho. It added a mildly smoky sweetness.
Friday February 17, 2017
Tried this soup recipe tonight substituting a diced apple, added with the potato, and paprika for the hot honey, and olive oil and veggie broth. Roasted the squash earlier in the day with an oven full of other things, mashed it and added at step 2. Stirred in a splash of buttermilk, instead of the cream, to each bowl just before serving. It was a hit!
cass January 16, 2017
What is hot honey and where could I find Mike's?
patty@bryce January 12, 2017
Not a fan. Felt overseasoned. Had to add a lot of cream and honey to mellow it out. More of a cumin issue than the pepper flakes.
Jill S. January 9, 2017
Just made this using sour cream instead of the heavy cream so I didn't have to run to the market in the rain. Was incredible!
Jane W. October 16, 2016
just made a little batch with leftover kabocha and the dregs of some homemade chicken stock. 10/10 would make again, so good!
ghainskom March 26, 2016
Success is when your picky 8yo asks to eat it three days in a row.
ghainskom March 23, 2016
No hot honey here in Germany so I subed honey and grated chili flakes to taste, also greek yogurt for the cream. Success, even with the kids.
Deborah D. December 18, 2015
Looks delicious. I will make this soon.
LeadingLatte November 1, 2015
Just made this soup tonight — so good! I didn't have hot honey, so used honey and ghost pepper salt I had on hand. Delicious! Thanks, Corinne!