[Gluten-Free] Butternut Squash Soup with Homemade Italian Croutons

Lately our Thursday nights have been busy with a very, very important obligation... recreational softball. Oh, we're serious. Patrick and I both played ball growing up and we missed doing some sort of competitive sport. Did I mention we're competitive?Whoa man... we'll turn anything into a competition. That's the reason why we can't go for a "leisurely run" together anymore. There's no such thing as "pace"... we run to win. 

But this is not about winning. Well maybe. What I am about to share with you, is a sure-fire winner. But first, back to Thursdays. When I found out our softball team had a bye last week, I immediately invited some friends over for dinner. I absolutely love to entertain on the weekdays. It's more casual, more relaxed. And there's just something about Thursdays. It's like you get to kick off the weekend a little early. Plus, I had been dying to use our new outdoor table!

Since we were going to eat al fresco, I thought it would be fun to start things off with a delicious fall soup. I decided to make my Hearty Butternut Squash Soup. I absolutely love it! But I was inspired to substitute the almond milk with an almond milk/coconut milk blend. Why not? And instead of adding one roasted apple, I thought I'd add two. And I added chicken broth, when I found a little container of it in the pantry.

What came out was an amazing soup! It was just slightly sweeter than the original. I topped it with some homemade Italian croutons and everyone loved it!

[Gluten-Free] Butternut Squash Soup with Homemade Italian Croutons

This dish was inspired by my original Hearty Butternut Squash Soup recipe! Roasting the squash, apples, and red onions really gives this soup a great depth of flavor. But the secret ingredient is the almond milk/coconut milk blend. It adds just enough sweetness and makes this soup silky smooth. And you can’t go wrong with topping each bowl with Homemade Italian Croutons! Delicious. Can it be fall forever??

Makes 4-5 servings

For the croutons:

1 gluten-free baguette*, cut into ½ inch-1 inch cubes 

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 teaspoons Italian seasoning

1 teaspoon garlic powder

¼ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon black pepper

For the soup:

3½ pounds butternut squash, peeled, seeded, cut into ½-inch pieces

2 Gala apples, peeled, cored, cut into 1-inch pieces

1 medium red onion, cut into 1-inch pieces

¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, separated

1½ teaspoons salt, separated

¾ teaspoon black pepper, separated

2 cups unsweetened almond milk/coconut milk blend

1 cup low-sodium chicken broth

1 cup water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Place bread cubes onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Add olive oil, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, salt, and pepper onto the bread cubes and mix together. Bake 10-12 minutes or until toasted. Set aside.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. In a large bowl, toss together butternut squash, ¼ cup olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper. Pour onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, in an even layer.

In the same large bowl, toss together the apples, onions, the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil and the remaining ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Pour onto the other baking sheet lined with parchment paper, in an even layer. Place both baking sheets in the oven. Bake for 35-40 minutes until the squash, apple, and onion pieces are soft and fork tender.

Add the roasted squash, apple, and onion pieces into a food processor or blender. Add the almond milk/coconut milk blend, chicken broth, and water. Blend until smooth. Strain through a metal sieve and pour into a medium saucepan.

Heat the soup over medium-low heat, stirring often, until hot. Add salt/pepper to taste, if needed. Ladle the hot soup into bowls. Top each bowl with croutons. Store extra croutons in an airtight container for 1-2 days. Enjoy!

*My favorite baguettes are from Against the Grain Gourmet and Udi’s brands. Both can be found in the freezer section of your local health food or grocery store. Make sure to thaw out the bread completely before baking.

recipe courtesy: laurenmarieglutenfree.com