Butternut Squash Soup Recipe With Leeks

This squash and leek soup is a fall spin on a familiar dish — swapping out potatoes for rich, sweet butternut squash, which is roasted in the oven before pureeing. The soup itself is flavored simply with earthy, fragrant thyme, but the garnish nods to the comfort of a creamy baked potato with sour cream, bacon, and a sprinkling of chives. Serve it as a starter for your Thanksgiving feast or enjoy a bowl for an autumnal light lunch.

Do you need to peel the squash?

The skin of the butternut squash is edible, but for this soup, it should be completely removed before adding it to the leek and broth mixture — otherwise, the texture will be unpleasantly gritty. But while some butternut squash recipes require you to peel the squash before cooking it, the beauty of this recipe is that there’s no peeling required. Just place the squash cut-side down on a baking sheet and roast until tender. Once it’s cool, you can use a spoon to remove the seeds and scrape out the flesh.

Notes from the Food & Wine Test Kitchen

Do double duty and save yourself some prep time by roasting the squash and sautéing the leeks simultaneously; both take about 40 minutes to cook.