Creamy Butternut Squash Soup with Kale Pecan Salad
Roasted butternut squash and apple soup blended until silky, paired with a fresh kale salad of white beans, pears, pecans, and celery in Dijon vinaigrette. Topped with a dollop of sour cream, this warm-and-cool combination balances earthy spices with bright citrus and nutty flavors.
Ingredients
- 2 tsp Mustard, Dijon
- 1 tsp Maple syrup
- 1 Tbsp Lemon juice
- 3 Tbsp Oil, olive
- 2 ribs Celery, sliced
- 1 Tbsp Chives, chopped
- 1 whole Pears, Asian, julienned
- 1 can Beans, cannellini or butter, drained and rinsed, 14 oz / 397 g
- 8 oz Kale, baby
- 2 oz Pecans
- 1 medium Onions, chopped
- 2 lbs Butternut squash, cubed
- 1 whole Apples, peeled and cubed
- 2 Tbsp Butter
- 1 tsp Brown sugar
- ½ tsp Cumin
- ¼ tsp Nutmeg(optional)
- 4 cups Stock, any type
- ¼ cup Sour cream
Instructions
- 1
Heat butter in a Dutch oven or stock pot over medium heat.
- 2
Add onions and saute until soft, about 3 to 4 minutes.
- 3
Stir in brown sugar, cumin, and nutmeg and cook for 1 minute.
- 4
Add squash and apples, saute to coat in spices, about 2 to 3 minutes.
- 5
Pour stock over squash and apples and bring to a simmer.
- 6
Cover and simmer until squash is tender, 15 to 20 minutes.
- 7
While soup simmers, toss together kale, celery, pears, chives, pecans, and beans.
- 8
Whisk together Dijon mustard, maple syrup, lemon juice, and olive oil.
- 9
When soup is finished, transfer to a blender or use an immersion blender and blend until smooth, adding more stock or water if needed.
- 10
Taste and season with salt and pepper.
- 11
Add vinaigrette to salad and toss until dressed.
- 12
Serve salad with soup on the side, topped with a spoonful of sour cream.
Tips
Adjust soup consistency by adding stock or water after blending if needed.
Reserve 1 cup of soup before blending for meal prep purposes.
Good to Know
Soup and salad components store separately up to 4 days refrigerated. Keep vinaigrette separate from salad greens.
Prepare soup through blending up to 2 days ahead. Prep salad vegetables and store separate from kale; dress just before serving.
Serve salad at room temperature or chilled with warm soup alongside, each topped with sour cream.
Common Mistakes
Do not over-blend soup or it becomes gluey; blend until smooth but not overworked.
Add vinaigrette just before serving to prevent wilting kale.