Over the past weeks my appetite has been spinning (in a good way) with all the butternut squash soup recipes posted in the blogosphere. Everyone has their take on how this soup should be made and I wanted to play too.
Over the years I’ve made butternut squash soups in many variations. However, when I saw this recipe, I just knew it would be perfect. Butternut Squash-Tangerine Soup with pistachio gremolata….yeah…it’s as good as it sounds.
With my love of winter citrus (especially tangerines) I felt the sweetness of the fresh juice would put an unexpected spin on a soup I have been enjoying for years.
The result was a brightness of flavor I had never tasted with butternut. I loved it. It is the perfect soup course for Thanksgiving…make it early and warm it up right before eating. Everyone will luh-hu-huv it.
Let’s make it…
Here’s what you will need: Butternut squash, fresh tangerine juice, tangerine zest, fresh ginger, garlic, unsalted butter, honey, dried apricots, flat-leaf parsley, ground cinnamon, plain yogurt, pistachios and saffron (optional). Ingredients not shown: Kosher salt and water.
In a large, heavy pan melt 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter and sauté 4 cups butternut squash, 2 Tablespoons fresh ginger, 2 garlic cloves, 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon and a pinch of saffron threads (optional). Cook until the squash begins to brown, about 5 minutes; stir often.
To the squash add 5 cups water, 1-1/2 cups fresh tangerine juice, 1/4 cup dried apricots, and 2 Tablespoons honey. Bring to a boil and reduce the heat to medium-low; simmer covered until the squash is tender, about 30-40 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand for 10 minutes.
Use your immersion blender or regular blender to puree the soup until smooth. If using a regular blender make sure to puree in batches. Return the soup to the pot and reheat until warmed through. Season with Kosher salt to taste.
For the gremolata, toss together 2 Tablespoons pistachios, 1/4 cup flat-leaf parsley and 1 Tablespoon tangerine zest.
Spoon plain yogurt onto each serving of soup.
Garnish each bowl with gremolata and serve.
The soup will look so purr-tee on your table.
Open up for a bite.
Good wasn’t it?
Butternut Squash-Tangerine Soup with pistachio gremolata
Adapted from Cuisine at Home
For the soup:
1 lb butternut squash, peeled, cubed (about 4 cups)
2 Tablespoons fresh ginger, chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Pinch saffron threads (optional)
2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
5 cups water
1-1/2 cup fresh tangerine juice (I used nine Satsumas, they don’t have seeds)
1/4 dried apricots, roughly chopped
2 Tablespoons honey
Kosher salt to taste
For the gremolata:
1/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 Tablespoons pistachios, chopped
1 Tablespoon tangerine zest, minced
1/4 cup plain yogurt
In a large, heavy pan melt butter and sauté butternut squash, ginger, garlic, cinnamon and saffron threads (optional). Cook until the squash begins to brown, about 5 minutes; stir often.
To the squash add water, tangerine juice, dried apricots, and honey. Bring to a boil and reduce the heat to medium-low; simmer covered until the squash is tender, about 30-40 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand for 10 minutes.
Use your immersion blender or regular blender to puree the soup until smooth. If using a regular blender make sure to puree in batches. Return the soup to the pot and reheat until warmed through. Season with Kosher salt to taste.
For the gremolata, toss together pistachios, flat-leaf parsley and tangerine zest.
Spoon yogurt onto each serving of soup. Garnish each bowl with gremolata and serve.
KathyB. says
Not only does the soup sound yummy, but it is a beautiful dish….and well worth serving just for eye-appeal. I never would have thought to add citrus…
clumbsycookie says
This is almost a dessert! I think tangerines have such an wonderful flavour, with much more caracther than any other citrus and oh boy do I love pistachios!
HoneyB says
Looks beautiful – I would love to have it on my table and in my tummy!
Barbie with a T says
We just love soup. I love butternut squash. I love all squash. You know I will love this soup. I cannot wait to make some. Your photos are so crisp and clear, that I can almost taste the soup by just looking at the pictures. Especially that tangerine zest. I have never used tangerine zest before, but I bet it is the ultimate in tangerine flavor. Thanks for this bright and colorful soup recipe.
Katrina says
That looks and SOUNDS so good. I love that it doesn’t have onions. I do not like them, Sam-I-Am, and it seems like other butternut soups I’ve had always just taste like onions to me. I’m printing more and more of your recipes these days! Yum, slurp, soup!
annbb says
Butternut squash soup is one of my very favorites!!
Stephen says
Cathy – I’ve been lurking around your kitchen for quite a while. You have fantastic ideas and a great online personality. I use many of your recipes as quick go-to’s.
I have about 3lbs. of butternut squash roasting in the over right now. I was planning on making a big batch of curried soup and freezing some of it. Now I must make two different soups.
Keep the great ideas coming!
Stephen says
Cathy – I’ve been lurking around your kitchen for quite a while. You have fantastic ideas and a great online personality. I use many of your recipes as quick go-to’s.
I have about 3lbs. of butternut squash roasting in the over right now. I was planning on making a big batch of curried soup and freezing some of it. Now I must make two different soups.
Keep the great ideas coming!
Stephen says
Sorry for the double post. I’m not quite awake yet.
Jennifer says
I’ve never had butternut squash soup but it always looks so good to me. Maybe I’ll try this recipe some time soon…it looks like it would be good on a cold, winter day!
Jennifer says
Wow–that sounds like a great combo of flavors!! Your soup bowls are beautiful, btw!!
Asthmagirl says
Oh my gosh, that looks excellent! Wow!
Louise says
You had me at the butternut squash with butter, ginger, et al. Beautiful!
Starwoodgal says
Could not live without my immersion blender. That soup looks yum-yum.
taste memory girl says
that’s a gorgeous looking soup. i would love to try this recipe ~ the tangerine is what’s getting me going and your right about the ‘unexpected spin’ ~ photographs pretty too. am hungry….again!
Rachel (S[d]OC) says
While I can’t say for sure whose soup is the best until I try them all, I will say you have the most gorgeous photos of squash soup.
Mmm…pistachios…
tipper says
Beautiful-and looks yummy!
Mental P Mama says
That looks fantastic! Did the hooligans eat it?
Kristy - Where's My Damn Answer says
YUM! I decided to go home for Thanksgiving afterall and I’m in charge of bringing dip and a salad. I might call and see if I can swap out a salad for soup instead. This looks FABULOUS.
I just bought a butternut squash too. I’ve never cooked it before and I keep seeing all these awesome recipes calling for it … so I’m off to experiment this weekend.
Amanda Louden says
LOVE IT
Mama Goose says
Oh, that looks so lovely.
ELRA says
Whoa… Cathy, I kind of notice that you post many recipes lately, and that’s good!
Love the color of the soup, looks really appetizing. Perfect winter soup!
Cheryl says
That’s it. I want to paint my dining room in Noble Pig Butternut Squash Soup Orange.
Lemme call Sherwin Williams….
Alisa says
Goodness, I just so happen to have some butternut squash laying around doing nothing.
Thanks for another great recipe!
Debbie in CA : ) says
Oh joy! Such a delightful antidote to your son’s feline cake of yesterday. ; )
My mouth is watering as I forward the recipe to be printed and stashed in my Noble recipe section.
GORGEOUS!!!! This will look stunning in my blue willow soup bowls. Gotta go . . . I know I have a butternut in my veggie stash. [GROWL — stomach]
Jeanette says
I am going to give this a try. I love squash or root soups, especially when served with a gremolata.
Liz C. says
This soup looks fabulous! It’s supposed to get colder here this weekend, so I might have to make this. However, I’m now in the throes of canning my homemade Chow-Chow.
Pam says
The soup looks so delicious and pretty – I love the bright color. The gremolata sounds really tasty.
kellypea says
Whew! I finally made it to the comment page. Twice it told me it couldn’t find the page I was looking for. Count yourself lucky that I think you’re worth the torture! Hahahaha.
Okay, so this soup had me at the bag of apricots hiding behind the parsley. The tangerine is just a bonus. I can’t wait to try this so bad, it just may have pushed the black beluga lentil & chicken soup off the menu tonight. YUM.
Sandie says
The gremolata sends this over the top! (How did you get the yogurt not to melt & spread? Is the 10 minutes you let the soup stand before serving enough to keep the yogurt intact?)
maris says
This looks delicious! Yes, there have been quite a few butternut squash recipes floating around the internet but this is the first gremolata I’ve seen and it looks gorgeous! The colors are so bright and everything looks amazingly fresh.
Tanya says
Wow! The color of the soup is beautiful! I one time tried to make butternut squash soup and it was a disaster. Yours look delicious!
Melissa says
This one sounds and looks ideal for my next attempt, which you know I wanted to make with just butternut anyway. Great, great soup Cathy.
John Deed says
Your photography is stellar, probably one of the best on the web. I’m headed back to the store for tangerines and ginger, this is for dinner tonight and if I love it then for Thanksgiving. Thanks for your continued good content.
dlyn says
Cathy – this looks so good. Anything with squash is good as far as I’m concerned!
Nilmandra says
I love the colour of this soup. It looks more vibrant than pumpkin soup.
Karen Deborah says
I need to share mine with you. I’m going to make it soon. It’s made with Thai ginger and coconut milk and it’s amazing. I’m with you love squash. I am baking these big pumpkins and they are pretty good!
Danielle says
Thank you for posting a butternut squash recipe that is different from the rest. I have looked at so many (for butternut squash risotto too) I didn’t even want to make soup or risotto out of it any more. This is a really nice twist!
Dr. John says
That looks great but were not hosting Thanksgiving this year and I know Pat won’t make it.
dawn says
Looks good to me. I love butternut anything. I wish I could make my own cream of whatever soups, but I have no boat motor (immersion thingee or however it’s spelled).
Cathy says
Just use your regular blender!
Bunny says
I’m sure this soup is as good as it is pretty.
Blond Duck says
Note to self: Get blender and squash.
Lydia (The Perfect Pantry) says
Love the gremolata topping for this. I’ve been trying different variations of butternut squash soup every few days, so I’m adding this to my list to make.
Paula says
Oh yummy day! I don’t think I’ve ever had squash soup made with citrus. I bet that gremolata really sets it off, too. Your soup bowls are just lovely!
[eatingclub] vancouver || js says
I love the addition of tangerine juice and apricots. Love your twists to the “usual” butternut squash soup.
Scary Mommy says
Butternut squash soup is one of my favorite wintery treats. This one looks like the best!!
nina says
Oh my word this is so delicious. The color of the soup is so amazing!
grace says
what a unique and fabulous take on butternut squash soup! the orange stuff itself sounds amazing, and since i’m unfamiliar with gremolata, color me extremely fascinated. the textures would be incredible! yep, i’m sitting here a little dumbfounded. 🙂
Kim says
I love soup. I love butternut squash. I absolutely love this recipe. Everything about says it is special, the colors, the texture. And then of course the empty bowl and licked spoon is the big tip off. So glad you took a turn!
Stacey Snacks says
WOW!
That’s some fancy soup and that’s not your everyday gremolata!!!
Beautiful photos!
Stacey
Darius T. Williams says
ahhh – you inspire me to be better.
The pics – the pics – the pics
That’s all I can say. Anything that looks this good has GOT TO be amazing. I’m glad you held out until it was “your turn” to post this recipe!
Darius T. Williams says
ahhh – you inspire me to be better.
The pics – the pics – the pics
That’s all I can say. Anything that looks this good has GOT TO be amazing. I’m glad you held out until it was “your turn” to post this recipe!
RobinSue says
OK you win for the best looking and most flavorful Butternut Squash Soup! This version looks fantastic!
Biz says
Never would have thought to merry tangerines with squash! Yum!
alexandra's kitchen says
yesssss. i think citrus is key. my mother always adds a little orange zest. this soup looks so freaking good! I want to slurp it off my computer screen. The gremolata sounds lovely.
jodycakes says
This soup is BEAUTIFUL…Yummy
Dee says
I don’t think I’ve ever seen a pumpkin soup that was quite so colourful as yours – the apricots, tangerine juice and gremolata sound fantastic!
KitchenKiki says
Yum, I love butternut squash soup & yours looks like a great version!
Deborah says
There is no such thing as too many squash soup recipes, and this one looks delicious and different!
annie says
Can I just say that your photo’s are breathtaking… Just beautiful.
I could almost taste it and it was yummy!
Marie says
That looks totally scrumptious! I want some!
Tammy says
Yum, yum and double yum!!
Your table looks beautiful!!
Great photography~~
Kate says
I just want to thank you for being an inspiration to me in the cooking department, which is a department in which I truly am lacking. Your meals inspire me. And combined with my pink countertops in my kitchen, I am doing better there. So, thanks.
cookworm says
That looks fantastically delicious!
pam says
Wow! Way to take butternut squash soup to a whole new level.
Kevin says
I like the sound of adding tangerines to a butternut squash sout! And the addition of pistachios if great!
Dragon says
This is one of the prettiest I’ve seen so far. Absolutely lovely!
Nectarine says
Wow – I made this for a cooking club in our neighborhood and everyone loved it. Thanks! I will be trying other things and have sent your blog to my group. We loved the pictures.
claudia (cook eat FRET) says
no lick marks in the bowl?
what’s wrong with you?
Julia says
How many servings does this make ?
Thanks it great!
Rachel says
This looks so wonderful! Please tell me where you got those awesome bowls, I’ve been looking online for them for a while now.
Cathy says
Cost Plus.
Kirsten says
Cathy,
Thanks for giving me the link to include in my upcoming Band Fruit Fundraiser Recipe Round Up! It will be published on 12/4/2013!