Name: Creamy Butternut Squash & Tortellini with Spinach and Feta Soup
Yield: 6
Cuisine: soup
Ingredients: 1 butternut squash, peeled and cubed; 1 onion, cubed; 2 carrots, peeled; 2 whole heads of garlic; olive oil; salt to taste; freshly cracked black pepper, to taste; 1/2 teaspoon or more crushed red pepper flakes; 8-12 cups broth; 1 pound (500g) baby spinach leaves; 1 teaspoon dried thyme; 1 pound (500g) tortellini pasta; 1 cup heavy cream; feta cheese

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An easy, cozy soup that will undoubtedly become a seasonal favorite!

Roasted Butternut Squash with Tortellini, Spinach & Feta Soup

Watch the Video:

This butternut squash and tortellini soup blends silky and sweet roasted squash with cheesy tortellini pasta and feta. It all pairs so well together, creating a delicious autumn soup everyone will enjoy.

It’s easy to make and requires more baking time than hands-on time. Some people like to cook butternut squash on the stove, but roasting winter vegetables intensifies their flavor and caramelizes the juices. So, I’d much rather let the oven do the work.

What makes it so good?

Comforting, warm

Silky, creamy,

Garlicky, butternut squash broth

With melt-in-your-mouth spinach,

Tender, creamy, cheesy tortellini,

And briny bites of feta!

Creamy Butternut Squash Soup with Tortellini Pasta

Here’s everything you need…

Butternut squash -peel, cut, scoop the seeds and cube the flesh. It’s slightly sweet, nutty and so delicious.
Onion -cubed to get soft and mild while roasting.
Carrots -you can use baby carrots or peeled and cut large carrots. The sweetness compliments the squash.
Whole heads of garlic -roasting the whole head of garlic keeps you from peeling all of the cloves while allowing them to intensify in flavor and get soft and sweet. All you do is squeeze the cloves from the head into your blender.
Olive oil -you’ll drizzle this all over the veggies to roast them. Try the one in our shop from my family’s olive trees in Crete!
Salt -because this enhances the flavor of everything, be sure to salt all along the way to layer the flavors.
Freshly cracked black pepper -there’s nothing like freshly cracked pepper.
Crushed red pepper flakes -add as much heat as you like!
Broth -homemade broth is easy, delicious, and healthy, but store-bought works just as well. You can use vegetable or chicken broth, and water works, too.
Baby spinach leaves -it may seem like a lot, but the spinach wilts into the soup and provides great texture.
Dried thyme -gives a good bit of herby flavor. You can substitute oregano, sage, or your favorite combination of herbs.
Tortellini pasta -I love this creamy, cheese-filled pasta, and I got a double pack of fresh tortellini from Costco.
Heavy cream -adds a rich creaminess to the final soup.
Feta cheese -can you blame me for adding a bit of Greek to the soup? I crumble sheep’s feta from a block right into the soup for creamy, salty pockets of deliciousness.

What other pasta can be used?

Tortellini is the perfect balance for this luscious soup, but you can substitute cheese-filled ravioli for the same feeling. If you prefer to leave the cheese out, try gnocchi, orzo, or orecchiette. The soup base will be the same, so use the noodles you have or enjoy most.

The trick to cutting butternut squash?

Because butternut squash is hard, it can be challenging to cut sometimes. The trick is to use a sharp knife and cut it in pieces instead of trying to cut it in half longways. Watch my video to see exactly how. It’s so much easier and safer.

Can I buy precut Butternut squash?

Yes! You can get pre-peeled and cut butternut squash from the grocery store’s produce section. It saves a lot of time and would work perfectly for this recipe. However, fall is when butternut squash is in season. So, if I see beautiful, fresh butternut squash, I’ll get them and peel and dice them myself.

Did you know that you can eat butternut squash seeds?

I treat fresh butternut squash seeds just like pumpkin seeds. You can scoop them out, rinse, and dry them. Then, toss them in a small amount of olive oil and roast them until brown and crispy. Eat them as a snack or sprinkle them over your soup.

How to make Butternut Squash and Tortellini Soup

Prepare the vegetables:

Preheat the oven to 400 °F, 200 °C. Place the butternut squash cubes, onion, and carrots in a baking pan. Drizzle them with olive oil and season with salt and black pepper. Cut a quarter inch from the top of the garlic heads and place them on a foil sheet. Drizzle the garlic with olive oil and season with salt. Close the foil by bunching it together.

Roasting:

Roast the veggie tray for about 40 minutes or until fork-tender. At the same time, roast the garlic, but for 50-60 minutes. The garlic is ready when it is golden and soft.

Blend for soup:

Transfer the roasted veggies to a blender and add some broth. Squeeze the garlic cloves into the blender. Puree until smooth.

Cook the tortellini:

Pour the mixture into a large pot and add the remaining broth, crushed red pepper flakes, thyme, and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil and add the spinach. Add the tortellini pasta and cook according to the package instructions. Fresh tortellini usually takes 2-3 minutes, and dried takes 8-10.

Finish the soup:

Add the heavy cream and adjust the seasoning if needed.

The Best way to serve your soup…

There’s no way you’ll want to miss a drop of this silky, sweet broth. So, make an easy baguette to serve with it. For a heartier bread, try my spinach and feta-filled pita flatbreads or lagana bread filled with olives, sun-dried tomatoes, and herbs. When I serve this to my family, I put out extra feta cheese for anyone who would like to top it with more. Kali Orexi!

Creamy Butternut Squash & Tortellini with Spinach and Feta Soup

Yield: Serves 6-8

This butternut squash soup and tortellini soup blends silky and sweet roasted squash with cheesy tortellini pasta and feta. This cozy soup will undoubtebly become a seasonal favorite.

Ingredients

1 butternut squash, peeled and cubed
1 onion, cubed
2 carrots, peeled
2 whole heads of garlic
olive oil
salt to taste
freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
1/2 teaspoon or more crushed red pepper flakes
8-12 cups broth
1 pound (500g) baby spinach leaves
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 pound (500g) tortellini pasta
1 cup heavy cream
feta cheese

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400 °F, 200 °C.

Place the butternut squash cubes, onion, and carrots on a baking pan. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and black pepper.

Cut a quarter inch from the top of the garlic heads and place them in foil. Drizzle the garlic with olive oil and season with salt. Close the foil by bunching it together.

Roast the veggie tray for about 40 minutes or until fork-tender.

Roast the garlic for 50-60 minutes. The garlic is ready when it is golden and soft.

Transfer the roasted veggies to a blender and add some broth. Squeeze the garlic cloves into the blender. Puree until smooth.

Serve topped with crumbled feta cheese. Kali Orexi!

Notes

Instead of tortellini, other pasta can be used:

ravioli
gnocchi
orzo or orichetti

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Butternut Squash & Tortellini Soup