Butternut Squash Soup with Orange Croutons
- 8 servings ServingsServings
Ingredients
- 1 medium butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cubed into 1-inch squares
- 1 medium zucchini squash, peeled and sliced into 1-inch pieces
- 1 yellow pepper, seeded and cut into strips
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 3 celery stalks, chopped
- 1 onion, peeled and chopped
- 1 carrot, peeled and chopped
- 5 cups low-sodium vegetable stock
- 2 cups 100% Florida orange juice, divided
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 2 cups prepared seasoned bread cubes for stuffing (not crumbled) or 8 crostini
- Zest of 1 Florida orange
Preparation
1 In a medium-sized roasting pan, place butternut squash, zucchini and yellow peppers.
2 Drizzle 1 tablespoon olive oil over vegetables; toss to coat. Bake at 425 F.
3 uncovered for 40 minutes. Stir vegetables every 10 minutes to brown evenly on all sides; reserve.
4 Heat remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil in Dutch oven; add celery, onion and carrot; sauté for 3 to 5 minutes.
5 Add vegetable broth, 1 cup orange juice, sage and reserved roasted vegetables. Bring to a boil; cover and simmer for 20 minutes.
6 Let cool. Carefully purée small batches in blender. Return puréed mixture to Dutch oven and heat through.
7 Just before serving, prepare Orange Croutons. Spread seasoned bread cubes on small cookie sheet with 1-inch sides. Pour remaining 1 cup of orange juice onto cookie sheet and allow bread cubes to soak approximately 10 minutes; bread cubes should retain a slight crunch.
8 (Do not use a bowl; croutons will end up mushy.) Drain remaining orange juice from bread cubes into puréed vegetable mixture and heat through. Place soup in bowls; top with Orange Croutons and garnish with orange zest. Serve immediately.
Source: The Florida Department of Citrus
