I tried this recipe for the first time last weekend, and I cannot believe how incredibly easy it is to make. Not to mention soups freeze beautifully so you can double the recipe and prepare this meal even more easily by pulling it out of your freezer on a busy weeknight. It goes well with whole-wheat biscuits, which can also be made and frozen in advance. I do want to give you a fair warning though that our children did not like this recipe for some reason…but the adults loved it so much that we thought we should share it anyway!
Peanut Squash Soup
Serves: 5-6
Adapted from Cooking Light Magazine
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon peanut oil
- 4 cups (1/2 inch) cubed peeled butternut squash
- 1 cup chopped onion
- 2 tablespoons minced garlic (about 6 cloves)
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ¼ teaspoon ground coriander
- 3 – 4 cups chicken stock/broth (depending on how soupy you like it)
- ¾ cup peanut butter
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- Crushed red pepper, to taste
- ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro
Instructions
- Heat peanut oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat.
- Add squash and next 5 ingredients (through coriander) to pan.
- Sauté for 5 minutes or until onion is tender.
- Add chicken broth, peanut butter, tomato paste, and crushed red pepper, stirring well to combine.
- Bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer until the squash is tender (about 10 minutes).
- Sprinkle with cilantro and serve.
Maybe this is obvious, but should the squash be cooked before adding it to the soup?
No you actually use raw squash. I was surprised as well that it would cook so quickly…but it does!
Ha, I had the same question — is the squash raw, but cut in tiny cubes so it cooks so quickly?
Love your blog!
You are right…start with raw squash! And thanks for the comment!
yes…do you cook the squash? good question.
Would using another type of oil change the taste at all?
It is such a small amount I think it would hardly taste different (if at all). Go for it!
I made a version of this today. I didn’t have the peanut oil or any of the spices but I put it all (with the non cooked squash) in the crock-pot and let it cook for the afternoon. I ended up pureeing it after it was cooked. It wasn’t like the original recipe but was yummy!
Yes I would think if it cooked all afternoon the squash would be too soft to stay in cube form. I am glad it still turned out good for you!
This was delicious!
Thank you for taking the time to leave a review! And I am glad you enjoyed it
Adding chickpeas is also tasty and if served with a whole grain (whole-wheat biscuits, brown rice) would provide a complete protein. I’ve been making a variation for a few months that includes a can of coconut milk and Thai chilis and my 3.5 year old DEVOURS it, even when I throw in kale or brussel sprouts! Thanks for sharing, good recipe.
Sounds like an interesting combination…will have to try it!
This was real good! My husband was not a fan of the grainy-ness of the peanut butter, so next time I’ll use creamy rather than
crunchy peanut butter. Also I was in the kitchen and had a huge squash – so I pre cooked it in the microwave and then peeled it.
I used an immersion blender to ‘cream it all up’. Thanks for your blog – my daughter is an registered dietitian and supports and advocates REAL FOOD with her clients and in her classes. Check out her blog at healthnut-em.blogspot.com. I’ve been following your blog since your first 100 day adventure and really enjoy it! Thanks again!
Thanks so much for the recipe review! And I love to hear about others who are on board with eating real food…that is the way things should be!
[...] Peanut squash soup with whole-wheat biscuits [...]
How do you get tomato paste while avoiding cans?? This would help us immensely! Thanks!
I still use cans occasionally, but I think you can find tomato paste in a tube in some stores.
I took canned tomato paste and scooped out tablespoonsful into a ziploc. Made sure they were spread apart, not touching, and froze it. I LOVE that I can grab a tablespoon of tomato paste without having to waste an entire can! I find the tomato paste in a tube to cost a lot more.
I can’t do any canned tomatoes due to reacting to what they spray on the inside of the can before filling (or most of them anyway). So I use lots of sundried tomatoes. If a recipe calls for tomato paste I soak the dried tomatoes in water awhile and then blend smooth for the recipe. It has worked great for years now. I dry lots and lots of my own tomatoes each fall but purchase them at my food co-op and elsewhere when needed as well.
Hi! I am super excited to try this recipe! I have a very picky 19 month old and he LOVED the zucchini chips (all i had to do was say the word ‘chip’ and he was all ears… lol). I do have a question about this recipe though. Did you buy your peanut butter at a store similar to Whole Foods? Was it organic peanut butter? I just am curious as how to find peanut butter with 5 ingredients or less. Thanks for opening my eyes- after watching Food Inc, I literally emptied my freezer and am now elbow deep in overhauling my entire pantry!
Katie, look for peanut butter marked “natural.” That usually means there are just 1 or 2 ingredients, i.e. peanuts and maybe salt, but you have to read the ingredients list to be sure. All of the organic peanut butters I’ve seen have only peanuts and usually salt, but I think it’s best to check the ingredients list on those as well just to be on the safe side. Organic peanut butter is usually pretty pricey. If that’s a concern, Smucker’s Natural is one brand I’ve seen in conventional supermarkets both here in New England and in St. Louis where my sister lives so I think that one is likely to be widely available. Hope that helps.
I’m glad the zucchini chips were a hit! Also, the peanut butter we buy is only 1-ingredient…organic peanuts. We do get it at Earth Fare (which is similar to Whole Foods) and you can even grind it yourself at the store. I’ve seen other fairly decent peanut butters at mainstream grocery stores that might have 1 or 2 other ingredients like a little oil and salt as well. I hope that helps!
Oh! And since natural peanut butter is new to you, Katie, here’s a tip. While the jar is sitting on the store shelf, the naturally-occurring oil separates and rises to the top of the jar. When you bring it home, turn the jar upside down and let the oil rise to the top again (which will actually be the jar’s bottom if that makes sense). This process may take a couple of days. Then turn the jar right side up and remove the lid. Use a table knife to slooooooooowly stir the oil into the peanut butter. If you stir too quickly or vigorously, some of the oil may shoot out of the jar. Not only do you not want that mess on your hands, but you also don’t want to lose that gorgeous peanut oil. Without it, you’ll end up with a jar of very dry, stiff, and less nutritious peanut spackle ;o)
We are trying to highly limit our meat product intake — would it be suitable to sub vegetable broth instead of chicken broth?
That would definitely work!
The last time I peeled and cubed butternut squash, I ended up with a blister. It’s hard!
So this time, I’ll precook it (at least a bit) in a slow cooker, then peel and cube it. I’ll add it later in the cooking process if it’s soft, earlier if not.
(I pierce it several times with a long-tined carving fork, and add a little water. Works great for all squashes!)
sopa pipa explained…
[...]against Lennox and his family members is now out of the palms of Belfast City Council [...]…
Thank you for your recipes!! We’re on our third week of your given menus. Many of the recipes my kids RAVED over. This one, not so much. LOL! I see a lot of this soup in my future since I made a big batch. My mistake was that in trying to save time I put the squash in the crockpot and then had a pureed soup. Maybe if I had gone ahead and peeled and cut the squash they might have liked it better. Hmmm… oh, well!
this is a silly question, but…where is your bowl from? it is so pretty!
Not silly at all! I got it from Target…it was part of a set and it was a few years ago.
will smith biography…
[...]making it 13 victories from 13 races – mentioned of her decision[...]…
This was SO good! I’m sure this has been mentioned before, but I blended the soup just before serving to make it creamy and loved it! Thank you for the recipe and the advice to double it. Also…if you cut the squash in half and steam it for 10 minutes it’s much much easier to peel. Thanks again!
Can you use yellow squash as a substitute for butternut squash?
Hi Angela. I’m not sure I would substitute the yellow for the butternut squash. I believe the butternut squash is a bit sweeter and also a different texture. I know yellow squash will get mushy if cooked too long. Of course, you could always give it a try, I’m just guessing it would turn out differently for you. Let us know how it goes. Jill
Sounds great, and I plan to add some chick peas (garbanzo beans).
If you have no butternut squash, try it with sweet potatoes–it sounds similar to a sweet potato soup recipe I’ve made that includes peanut butter–sort of an African style.
Try serving it with whole wheat couscous, either in the soup or ladle it over the couscous. Might go good with quinoa too.
I usually nuke my squash to make it easier to peel and cube. Just rinse the outside, dry, poke deeply with a knife in 5-6 spots, and nuke for 5 min on a plate, flip it and nuke for 5 more min, and let cool for 10+ min so you can handle it. It won’t cook it completely, but much easier to peel and chop.
[...] the couch with the TV on Alright, here’s the nitty gritty. The recipe is originally from 100 Days of Real Food. It’s a really easy recipe…as long as you cook the butternut squash in the microwave [...]
Will sunflower seed butter substitute OK? We can’t do any nuts in our house.
Hi Elizabeth. I have not tried it with sunflower seed butter, but, you could give it a shot. Jill
I absolutely love this recipe!! We have put it over a bed of rice and added sausage to my husbands portion and everyone loves it!!
Very good. I pureed the squash then added carrots and some heavy cream, family loved it!
My mom had some squash that needed to be eaten so she gave me some. I made this soup and my husband said this is a really good soup and said it was something he’d expect in a fine dining restaurant. I think the flavor was a bit richer than what I normally cook. My grandkids did not care for it and they usually gobble up grandma’s cooking. No matter, this recipe is a keeper for me