Inspiration: This recipe came to us via Dayna, one of our blog readers (thanks again, Dayna!). As soon as I read the ingredient list and saw that the soup included cream cheese, I was completely sold. I already love butternut squash – especially in the form of butternut squash soup – so once cream cheese was thrown into the mix, there was no way that I wasn’t whipping this up. What a fantastic and interesting combination of ingredients.
What We Loved: This soup instantly became one of our favorites. The best thing about it for me was the texture, which was amazingly, velvety smooth. It really was the creamiest soup that I’ve ever had. We loved how you could really taste the rich cream cheese in every bite (what’s not to love about that?), and of course the backbone flavor of the butternut squash was hearty and delicious. To finish it all off, the roasted squash seeds on top added salty and crunchy bursts of flavor. I really couldn’t wait to eat the leftovers of this soup for lunches, and I already can’t wait to make it again.
Tips: I had quite a bit of trouble peeling the skin from the squash after baking it (without security cameras, it’ll run away from you), since the squash was so tender and took a while to cool. Next time, I’ll probably use a vegetable peeler and peel the squash before putting it into the oven.
Butternut Squash and Cream Cheese Soup
Source: Dayna and Brian
2 medium sized butternut squash
Raw butternut squash seeds
Olive oil
Kosher salt and black pepper
4 tablespoons butter
6 tablespoons chopped onion
3 cups chicken stock (use vegetable to keep the recipe vegetarian)
1 teaspoon dried marjoram
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
1 8 oz package cream cheese
1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Cut the squash in half lengthwise and remove the seeds, placing the seeds into a sieve. Clean the seeds and spread them onto a baking sheet. Drizzle them with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Set aside.
2. Place the squash on another baking sheet. Drizzle the flesh with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake for about 45 minutes, until the squash is tender. Remove from the oven and let cool.
3. After you remove the squash from the oven, bake the seeds for about 15 minutes until nice and browned, stirring occasionally.
4. When the squash is cooled, remove the skin.
5. Melt the butter in a soup pot. Add the onion, and cook until softened. Add the stock, squash, marjoram, black pepper, and cayenne pepper. Cook for about 5 minutes.
6. Add the cream cheese, and cook for an additional 5 minutes, until melted.
7. Puree the soup using an immersion blender or food processor.
8. Season to taste with Kosher salt.
9. Serve topped with the roasted squash seeds.
threeowlskitchen.com 
YUM. This sounds sooo good! I am all about creamy soups. Must try. Thanks, Carrie! :)
I know, me too! Creamy soups like this are just the best, particularly on cold, snowy days.
In my questionable quest for health, I decided to make this while trying a new cupcake recipe. Both were wonderful but I must admit, the soup completely knocked me out. Loved the idea of toasting the squash seeds. Thank you for a recipe I’ll use over and over. ( Gotta admit here, the cupcakes were the best I’ve ever made).
:) So glad that you liked the soup! It’s one of my favorites.
I don’t really consider myself a ‘soup person’, but damn…this one looks worth a try!
Thanks, Alex!
I cannot help but commend the velvety texture indeed… I can’t wait to try this out!
I hope you like it if you give it a try!
I like the sound of adding cream cheese to a butternut squash soup!
That was my first thought too, Kevin. It’s a great combo!
I’m sold too, this sounds delicious! I’m hosting a weekly blog carnival specifically for soups, stocks and chowders, every Sunday! I would love it if you would come over and post this recipe. Here’s a link with more information:
http://easynaturalfood.com/2011/10/17/introducing-sunday-night-soup-night/
I hope to see you there!
Debbie
Thanks, Debbie! I will check it out!
How many people does this serve? I would love to make it for my family!
Oops, I’m sorry that I didn’t mention it. Gosh. 6-8 if I am remembering correctly?
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This recipe is INCREDIBLE. It is SO smooth, so velvety (that’s exactly the right word), and so flavorful! I’m going to be recommending it to everyone. It takes a bit of effort so it’s best saved for a night when you really feel like cooking, but damn is it worth it! Thank you so much!
I’m so glad that you enjoyed it!
I had never made butternut squash soup and was trying to introduce my family to new veggies and also gluten free is mandatory. This soup was so good I made two batches back to back. Thinking of heading to the store to get more squash and cheese!! Thanks for a delicious recipe!
That’s great to hear! I think that this recipe is a great introduction to butternut squash if you have never had it before.
P.s. wish I could pin this. :(
Working on blog updates and revamps now :)