Ingredients (~3-5 servings)
- 1 1/2 Tbsp salted butter
- 1 medium sweet yellow onion, finely diced
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1 1/2 Tbsp light brown sugar, packed
- 3/4 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
- 3/4 cup whiskey
- 3 cups (24 oz) low-sodium chicken broth
- 4 1/2 cups peeled & chopped butternut squash
- 3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
- Extra cream or black pepper for garnish (optional)
Sauté Aromatics
Melt the butter in a large Dutch oven or stock pot over medium heat.
Add the diced onion and sea salt. Sauté for ~7-8 minutes, stirring often, until the onion is softened.
Add the brown sugar, black pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes. Sauté for ~1 minute, stirring constantly.
Simmer the Soup
Carefully pour in the whiskey. Increase the heat to high and cook for ~2-3 minutes, stirring constantly and scraping the bottom of the pot.
Add the chicken broth and the chopped butternut squash. Stir to combine and bring the soup to a rolling boil.
Once it’s boiling, reduce the heat to low, cover the pot, and let it simmer for ~30 minutes.
After 30 minutes, check the squash with a fork. It should be very tender. If not, cover and cook for another 5-10 minutes.
Blend and Finish
Use an immersion blender to puree the soup directly in the pot until it is completely smooth. (Alternatively, let it cool slightly and blend in batches in a traditional blender).
Once the soup is smooth, stir in the heavy whipping cream.
Let the soup cook on low heat for another ~5 minutes to heat through. Do not let it boil.
Garnish each bowl with an optional swirl of cream and a sprinkle of black pepper.
Creamy Butternut Squash Soup with Whiskey
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 Tbsp salted butter
- 1 medium sweet yellow onion finely diced
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1 1/2 Tbsp light brown sugar packed
- 3/4 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
- 3/4 cup whiskey
- 3 cups low-sodium chicken broth 24 oz
- 4 1/2 cups peeled & chopped butternut squash
- 3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
- Extra cream or black pepper for garnish optional
Instructions
- Melt butter in Dutch oven over medium heat.
- Sauté onions with salt for 7-8 minutes until softened.
- Add brown sugar, black pepper, and red pepper flakes. Cook 1 minute.
- Pour in whiskey, scrape pot, and cook 2-3 minutes on high heat.
- Add chicken broth and butternut squash. Bring to boil.
- Reduce heat, simmer covered for 30-40 minutes until squash is tender.
- Puree soup using immersion blender until completely smooth.
- Stir in heavy cream and heat gently for 5 minutes.
- Garnish with cream swirl and black pepper if desired.
