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–+ servings

Fennel & Butternut Squash Soup

5 | 3 reviews
This textured, hearty and creamy butternut squash soup is topped with the fennel salad of my dreams. It's soup and salad in the best possible way. The salad has a creamy dressing that melts into the soup the same way a drizzle of heavy cream would. It makes this soup satisfying and packed with vegetables. It's one of my favorite things!
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings: 4 servings

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 1 large fennel bulb , stalks and fronds included
  • 2 tablespoons yogurt or skyr
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, 1/2 of a lemon
  • 5 garlic cloves, divided
  • Extra-virgin olive oil
  • Diamond Crystal kosher salt
  • 1 tablespoon salted butter
  • 1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
  • 1/4 pound celery stalks, 3 stalks, thinly sliced
  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 1 heaping teaspoon nutmeg
  • 2 pounds butternut squash, peeled and cubed into 1-inch pieces
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 2 cups vegetable broth
  • Freshly ground black pepper

Instructions 

  1. Prepare the fennel salad. Remove the fronds and finely chop them. Discard the stalks. Add the fronds to a large bowl. Mandolin the fennel bulb into razor-thin pieces and set aside.
  2. To the bowl with the fronds, add the yogurt, lemon juice, two grated garlic cloves and 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Whisk into a thick dressing and season liberally with salt.
  3. Add in the fennel bulb pieces, toss to coat in the dressing, and place this in the fridge while you prepare the soup.
  4. Set a large dutch oven over medium heat and add the butter and six tablespoons of olive oil. Allow the butter to fully melt, then add the onion and celery. Cook until softened, 5-6 minutes. Season with salt.
  5. Add in the garlic, cayenne and nutmeg. Stir to combine. Add in the butternut squash. Stir to combine and season with salt.
  6. Cook this mixture down for 20 minutes, or until the squash is fully soft. Stir the mixture every five minutes, covering the dutch oven with a cracked lid in between. When the squash is soft, use your spoon to break up most of the pieces, mashing many and leaving some whole.
  7. Add the bay leaf and broth and let the soup simmer for 20-30 minutes more. The longer it simmers the more flavor will build. Continue to stir occasionally to break up the squash pieces. The soup should be chunky but thick. Taste, season with salt and pepper, and remove from the heat.
  8. To plate, add the soup, then top with a pile of the fennel salad. Top with a few more cracks of black pepper and drizzle with any remaining fennel dressing left in the bowl. Eat right away with crusty bread.