Golden Winter Soup

I've made this recipe dozens of times since this recipe was first published in Cooking Light magazine. It's one of my favorite soup recipes. So delicious and comforting on a cold day.

This was terrific just “as is”! Didn’t need much, if any, half and half either. Thanks! Even tho I really like it “as is”, I did add something I saw from another recipe, a head of roasted garlic. It put the soup in another league! The best butternut squash soup I’ve had or made!

My 8 year old and I hooked this up. Switched chicken broth for veg. My wife's a vegetarian. So awesome, thank you.

The description says "hearty", but that is very misleading. This is a light, side-dish or entrée type of soup, not at all a one-bowl meal type of soup. The flavor was bland for me; I found myself adding more and more salt and pepper at the end. I agree that crumbled bacon on top would boost it a bit. That said, I will likely keep this recipe because it made good use of pre-cut vegetable packs that frequently go on sale at my local grocer. Next time I might try roasting the butternut squash as one reviewer suggested as well as add more leeks to see if that helps give it better flavor.

Have loved this soup for many years now.  My immersion blender makes it a snap.  My teenager declares it would be 5 stars with some crumbled bacon on top.

Fantastic! Not quite filling enough for a meal even with the cheese toasts but what a wonderful soup!!

Perfect! One of the best soups we've ever had! Great butternut flavor, creamy texture. Amazing recipe.

Absolutely delicious & easy to make! I did not purée the entire soup. We like pieces of veggies in our soup so I only puréed half.

so good! Next time I'd buy pre-processed butternut squash. I added a third leek as others had suggested, otherwise I followed the recipe. Yummmm!!!!!

I made this soup last year and it was raved by everyone who tried it. I'm making it again this year...hopefully with the same results. :) Tip: I seved it with mini baguettes my local bakery made.

I really loved this soup. I wanted to cut down on the calories so I didn't add in the half and half, instead, I used a little 2% milk. It also tasted great with a few bacon bits, green onion and shredded cheese (like bake potato soup)! Yummy

Made this for dinner on a friday- very good. The flavor of the squash adds a nice addition to a typical potato leek. We did this without the toasts, but I bet it would have added even more. My husband was surprised how much he liked it and rate it an "A+". Will make again, and it didn't take too long. Not overly thick/creamy which is nice too.

I made this as soon as I received the magazine a few years back. It is an easy soup to make. You really don't need the cream and you can use vegetable broth instead of chicken. I add a jalapeno pepper without the seeds. It gives it a kick.

We're serving this soup again for annual fundraiser! It's a great soup- using others' tips, esp re roasting to enhance the flavors!

YUM!!! I only gave it 4 stars b/c I tweeked it a touch after reading reviews and using my own experience with the ton of butternut squash recipes I have made. I will say that I think it would stand well on its own. First, I roasted the chunks of squash in a 400 degree oven for 30 minutes. It really boosts the flavor of the squash (also can be done ahead of time, refrigerated and then ready for cooking later). I also used a little more leeks than called for, more like rounded cups because I didn't want to waste them. I did not peel the potatoes as the ones I had were very thin skinned and small but since I roasted the squash, I nuked them for a few minutes so the squash and the potato would cook evenly. I also left out the 1/2 & 1/2 but added it to my serving (1/8c), froze the rest without and plan to use whatever dairy I have on hand after thawing and reheating. Although, it was very tasty without the dairy too, just pretty thick. Highly recommend. Best one I have made.

As soon as there is chill in the air, I start making this soup. It is perfect on its own and doesn't need any additional seasoning. Sometimes I don't even add the half and half and it is just as tasty. Instead of cubing the squash, which I find difficult, I cut the squash in half and roast it in the oven at 400 for an hour.

Delicious. Very warming on a freezing winter night. Next time I will increase the amount of leeks - love that flavor. I used more potatoes than the recipe called for. Added some grated fresh ginger and a bit of crumbled, dried sage at the end per a reviewers suggestions. Did not add enough ginger to influence the flavor. I didn't add any cream and didn't miss it! A drizzle of a good olive oil could add that extra depth.

AMAZING! This soup is perfect for cold nights. It is velvety smooth and very filling. Even my husband who hates creamy vegetable soups helped himself to three servings! I added a little fresh sage towards the end of the cooking time to add a little earthiness and depth of flavor. Delicious!

This soup really is outstanding. It is a tasty blend of squash and potato and is so smooth. My only complaint is that it's not too hearty, so you will definitely need to serve something alongside. I served a side salad and bread.

I have been meaning to review this soup for some time. The texture is lovely, and the taste is wonderful. It has become a go-to weeknight dish for us.(Many supermarkets sell pre-cut squash, making soup preparation fast and easy.) It's one of the recipes that convinced my husband that the world will not end if he stops eating meat at night.

This soup was great! Perfect fall weeknight dinner. I halved the recipe and it worked just fine. Also, added some fresh ginger for a bit more flavor and used the immersion blender. Served it with grilled cheese on Italian bread instead of the crostini. Will make again and again, as long as butternut squash is in season :o)

Another nice change for those who make this soup often or for those who want to give it a little kick is to add some fresh grated ginger right at the end. (I also used fat free half & half, and only 1/2 cup rather than a cup.) Delicious!

I loved how easy this soup was to make (especially with pre-cut squash), but it was a little on the bland side. Don't get me wrong, I did enjoy it, I just thought it could use a little gussy-ing. The cheese toasts helped. I'll probably make it again because it was super easy and full of fresh veggies.

This is one of my favorite soups. The blend of flavors is great and the half and half adds a nice creamy texture, though I've tasted it before adding the half and half and it could be left out and the soup would still be great! I use precut squash to save time and an immersion blender instead of transferring the hot soup to a regular blender. Great with the cheese toasts, but makes an excellent brown bag lunch on its own!

I honestly don't understand why this is so high. It was ok, but very bland. We had to add a ton of different herbs to really make this soup pop. And serving it with bread is a MUST. I would make this again, but definitely suggest adding herbs.

Last night was the second time I made this and it was just as outstanding as the first. By buying a large squash and 4 or 5 leeks in a bunch it just made sense to me to double the batch so that's what I did both times. I did not double the half and half though and used fat free and it was superb. Had a nice zing to it from the pepper though the kids (ages 5 & 6) did not like due to that.. Highly recommend!!! This is the first recipe review I've EVER felt compelled to do. That's how much we loved it.

I love soup, especially simple, delicious ones like this one. I made as written with the half & half. I always like to make a recipe as written the first time through. It's wonderful as is, but would also be great with a lower fat dairy or none at all. I made with CL Walnut Bread, which I also loved.

This is one of my favorite soup recipes! I increase the amounts of everything (to make a bigger batch) and add sweet potato as well. Instead of simmering the veggies in broth, I roast them all in a big pan with olive oil, a little butter, salt, and pepper, until they're soft. Then I put them straight in the blender (in batches) with some broth, puree, and pour into a pot, where I heat over low and add the half and half. This is one of the most comforting soups I make - I love it!!!

I didn't think a soup with this few/simple ingredients could be so tasty! I made a few changes: I used a 1/2 cup coconut milk instead of the cream (because that's what I had on hand). I also added about 3 cloves of garlic with the leeks and potatoes, and used chicken stock as my base. Yum. I will definitely be making this one again!

This soup was terrific! Wonderful consistency and beautiful color. It was also surprisingly quick and easy to make. I have been searching a long time for a good butternut squash soup; I love butternut squash but all the soups I've tried are just too sweet or curry-flavored for my taste. This is the perfect balance of savory flavors. I agree with the reader who compared it to a tastier soup version of mashed potatoes. Comfort food at its best!

We love this soup. I do jazz it up with some additional seasonings...garlic powder, a little nutmeg and some cumin for zip. I just add a little bit at a time and taste until I get it right!

This soup is amazing! Very simple but one of the best butternut squash soup recipes I've tried. The leeks are a must in it.

My boyfriend and I loved this soup - we agreed that it will definitely become a standard for us. I made it vegetarian by using vegetable broth instead of the chicken broth. I'd leave the extra salt out next time when using full-sodium broth - I'm a salt lover and it was a little salty even for me. I used skim milk instead of the cream and loved the texture. I thought the dairy gave it a nice complexity, but it didn't need the thickness or fat of the cream. I thought this tasted like a soupier version of delicious mashed potatoes. I was surprised by how well the squash, potatoes and leeks blended in flavor.

Everyone loves this and it's now a requested favorite. I use FatFree half n' half, otherwise I make it exactly as written.

Outstanding soup. I've made this a number of times with and without the toasts. It's always fantastic and pretty impossible to screw up. The last time I made it I used fat free creamer. Saved a load of calories without sacrificing the texture!

Outstanding. A simple blend of flavors makes this a lovely meal on a cold night. And leftovers are even better!

I pulled this recipe from a year old magazine. It was quick, easy and Delicious! I tasted it before I put the cream in and it was so good I left it out. It's hard to believe how good it is with so few ingredients! I did not make the toasts, but served it with chicken and green beans. It rounded out a simple dinner. This is a soup I will add to my favorites!

I made this for a vegetarian friend that had just had a baby and doubled it to feed my family. I substituted vegetable broth for the chicken broth to accommodate her and it was fabulous! precut squash would have made it faster but the whole thing didn't take long. The Gruyere with toast was a great addition. This will be a winter regular!

My husband and I love this soup. My in-laws also ask me to make this frequently and they love it as well. I always make sure I use salted butter which boosts the taste. I substitute fat free half and half and have found no difference in taste. This is simple and tasty and I will continue to make this on cold snowy days (like today).

I thought this soup was simply delicious. My picky four year old even ate it...I think because it was a little lighter on squash than other soups I've tried. I tasted it before and after the addition of 1/2 and 1/2 and thought it tasted great before so if you're at all interested in lowering the fat, don't bother with it. (Also, a hand-held immersion blender is so helpful with these types of soups!)

This soup is delicious! My husband loves it and is requesting it for the 3rd time for his Hanukkah dinner. One tip on peeling the butternut squash -- I boil the squash whole in water for about 5 minutes or so. Then the squash is easily peeled using my apple peeler and can be sliced much more easily, too. The first time I made this, I cut the half & half in half (does that make sense?). It was wonderful. So the 2nd time I made it I used even less 1/2 & 1/2 (probably a tablespoon). THis time I'm not going to use any....I really don't think it needs it, as we don't miss it. Great recipe!

I made this soup for thanksgiving this year. I was very dissapointed. I followed the recipe to a the dot. It was bland. I will not make it again!

I was excited to make this after reading reviews, but the final product was not what I expected. I followed the recipe exactly (although I didn't add quite as much half and half). It was a little bland, and the texture was a little like baby food (that could have been the missing 1/2 and 1/2). I didn't like the raw chives on top, either---too pungent. Perhaps I just don't like the flavor of leeks?

This recipe is so good it brings tears to my eyes.

Amazing & Easy! My husband does not eat butternut squash but he requests this soup regularly. It's so easy to throw together as long as you remember to buy leeks (and buy pre-peeled, cut squash!). It doesn't even need the full amount of half and half, I've used half the amount and it's great. The toasts & cheese on top really make it, if you don't have those, some pita chips will work too!

I made this soup exactly as stated...except for adding a touch more pepper. It was excellent! The texture and flavors were amazing. Also, the cheese toasts were the perfect compliment!! A definite keeper!

Awesome, even my daughter who is picky loved this one. Even though its a little expensive dont forget the baguette with gruyere, it compliments the soup perfectly

this was good, but not outstanding. It tasted more like a potato soup...not enough flavor.