Butternut Squash Soup with Roasted Chickpeas

Hi everyone! Christine again from Lattes, Life & Luggage. I hope you all enjoyed the Turkey Sliders with Blackberry Jam recipe from last month! If you’re interested in making your own Blackberry Jam recipe, check out the one I have on my blog.

Fall is finally here to stay in Chicago. Our weather has been generally on the chilly side and I’m loving it. Sweaters and yoga pants never felt so good. Too bad I’m leaving to travel for a few weeks in just a few days. Anyway, with the cooler weather comes fall recipes too. Soups, stews, hearty dishes that are simply too heavy in the summertime. I personally love everything squash (I’m eating a leftover bowl of butternut squash and sage risotto as I write this). It’s pretty on trend right now so you can find them easily and for affordable prices. They’re filling and so nutritious. Today I have a pureed butternut squash soup recipe that is delicious on its own but even better topped with crunchy roasted chickpeas for an extra punch of flavor.

Everyone has their own way of roasting squash. The general idea is to get it soft enough to work with so you don’t have to do any extra work. For my oven, I like to roast  it skin side down. Sprinkle a little bit of olive oil, salt, pepper, cinnamon and nutmeg along the flesh and rub in slightly. Butternut squash pairs really well with sweeter spices like cinnamon and nutmeg. I like to stick a few sage leaves in the cavity where the seeds were because I personally love the flavor of sage. If you’d prefer to not use it though, that’s totally fine. It’s a preference of taste.

The roasted chickpeas are 100% optional for this recipe but the extra punch of protein and flavor make them irresistible. Besides, they’re beyond easy to make and easily customizable. If you’d prefer a sweeter crunch, use spices that are more on the sweet side like cinnamon, a little brown sugar and a mix of nutmeg, allspice and ground cloves. If you want a spicy punch like I prefer, use paprika, chili powder, cumin and maybe a few red pepper flakes if you’re feeling adventurous. Sprinkle them on top and eat the leftovers for snacks. You’ll be making these in giant batches every week. I guarantee it.

Butternut Squash Soup with Roasted Chickpeas
Ingredients
For the soup:
1 small Butternut Squash, halved
4 tablespoons Olive Oil, divided
Salt & Pepper
1/4 teaspoon Nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon Cinnamon
4 Sage Leaves
1 small Onion, quartered
1 Garlic Cloves, smashed
3/4 cup Vegetable Broth

For the chickpeas:
15oz. Chickpeas (Garbanzo Beans), drained and rinsed
2 tablespoons Olive Oil
4 teaspoons Chili Powder
2 teaspoons Paprika
1 teaspoon Cumin
1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
Salt & Pepper

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Halve your squash and scoop out the seeds. Drizzle two tablespoons of the olive oil inside of squash and then sprinkle evenly over both halves the nutmeg and cinnamon. Place two sage leaves in each cavity. Roast in the oven for 35-50 minutes or until the most dense portion of the squash is easily pierced with a fork.

If you’re using chickpeas: Place the drained and rinsed chickpeas on a foil-lined baking sheet and dab with a paper towel to get an excess water off. Toss with the oil and spices and modify to taste. Roast 40-50 minutes until browned and dried out.

While your squash is cooling, warm the remaining olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add onions and garlic and cook until softened and fragrant. Scoop the squash out of the skin and add to the pot. Discard sage leaves. Mix well.

Add vegetable broth a 1/4 cup at a time while blending with an immersion blender. Keep blending and adding the broth until you reach your desired consistency. I prefer my soup thicker so I only need to use 3/4 cups but if you want it thinner, keep adding 1/4 cup at a time till you find your preferred thickness. As long as the soup is completely pureed, you don’t need to continue using the blender. Taste the soup to see if it needs any additional spices.
If you’re satisfied, serve immediately topped with the roasted chickpeas. This recipe makes about 2 bowls of soup. The size of your squash and how thick you prefer it will determine how many servings you’ll get out of it. Because I used a relatively small squash and like it thicker, it only gave me two bowls.

Serve while still warn, topped with the roasted chickpeas!

Creamy, flavorful and perfect comfort food, you’re gonna LOVE this Butternut Squash Soup with Roasted Chickpeas!