Creamy Squash Soup (Dairy Free)

A quick to make, dairy-free creamy squash paleo soup is in order for everyone during winter. This will go down smooth and may even give you leftovers too. by Marla Sarris on January 11, 2017

Paleo Recipe Creamy Squash Soup (Dairy Free)

Marla Sarris is the founder of Paleo Porn, co-author of Pigskin Paleo, project manager at SPYR and Executive Producer of Minimalism. After tirelessly dedicating six years to teaching Mathematics at one of the top High Schools in the nation, she left her all-consuming career in pursuit of a healthy, sustainable lifestyle. She continues to indulge her passion for teaching through Paleo Porn.

I’ve been on a soup making kick since I’ve been back in Chicago, after traveling from Missoula and Orlando. The stark contrast of below zero temps in Montana and the warmer (70 degree!) Florida weather created the need for me to keep warm from the inside out once I was back in the 20-40 degree temps of Chicago (because we like to keep it consistent in these parts). ;) This creamy butternut squash soup was a welcome warmth that satisfied what I was looking for.

Make It Dairy Free

You may think that all cream soups contain dairy, and most grocery store or restaurant-made soups do in fact make them that way. However, when you are living a dairy-free lifestyle and paying more attention to what you’re putting into your body, making a creamy soup at home can be quicker and easier than you may expect.

Paleo Recipe Creamy Squash Soup (Dairy Free)

This creamy squash paleo soup is made with very few ingredients. A minimalist recipe, if you will.

Alternative Tools For Making Soup

If this is your first time making soup at home, you have several approaches to finishing this soup off. Boiling the squash is the easy part, it’s turning the squash into soup that can require the use of secondary tools.

If you have an immersion blender (also known as a stick blender) this will make your life easier. Simply plug it in, stick it in the pot, turn it on high (or low, if you want to take your time), and let the tiny little blade attack your ingredients and turn it into a baby food consistency.

If you don’t have an immersion blender but you have a regular ole countertop blender (or a high powered monster like a Vitamix) then that’s your second option for turning soft, cooked butternut squash into a soupy consistency. When you use this option you will want to transfer the liquid back to the pot to keep it warm.

If you don’t have either type of blender but you have a food processor and you’re thinking you can use that, I would ask that you think again. You should use blenders for liquids and food processors for more thick consistencies (think pesto and the like). When using the food processor to make liquids, like soup, you run the risk of losing some of your precious ingredients when you lift the blade out of your food processor and it slides down the center spout. So please, please disregard those recipes and people who recommend using your blender or food processor to liquify anything.

A final alternative I have for you, if you don’t have any of the tools I mentioned above, is to use a potato masher, a fork and spoon. It’s very basic but quite useful and they can be used to get the job done. Maybe you won’t get your soup as smooth as you would with either of the above mentioned tools but it will be your own style of creamed squash soup and it will be good. :)

Creamy Squash Soup (Dairy Free)

Yield: Serve 4-6

Ingredients

1 organic butternut squash
2 teaspoons sea salt
2 teaspoons dried sage
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon garlic powder
black pepper, to taste

Directions

Rinse the squash under running water. Chop the ends off the butternut squash and discard. Cut the neck from the bulb of the squash. Cut the neck into slices and then large chunks and add squash to a large pot. Cut the bulb in half and remove the seeds (I like to use my melon baller to scrape and create a clean edge) then cut the halved bulb into large chunks and add to a large pot. Note: If you're buying an organic squash, no need to waste time wrestling to peel that bad boy.
Cover the squash with water and add a pinch of sea salt. Place the pot over medium-high heat, cover and bring to a boil. Allow to simmer until squash is soft (~30-35 minutes).
Remove pot from the burner, drain the squash, leaving just a little bit of water in the bottom of the pot.
Return pot to an unused burner and use a stick blender to puree the mixture until completely smooth. Or work in batches and transfer mixture to a blender to puree until smooth. If using the blender, return the soup to the pot and stir in the sea salt, dried sage, dried thyme, garlic powder and black pepper to taste over medium low heat. Stir to combine so seasonings are consistent throughout.
Ladle soup into a bowl and serve warm.
Enjoy! :)

About the Author Marla Sarris

Marla Sarris is the founder of Paleo Porn, co-author of Pigskin Paleo, project manager at SPYR and Executive Producer of Minimalism. After tirelessly dedicating six years to teaching Mathematics at one of the top High Schools in the nation, she left her all-consuming career in pursuit of a healthy, sustainable lifestyle. She continues to indulge her passion for teaching through Paleo Porn.