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I absolutely love soup. It’s adaptable, freezes well, and easily feeds a crowd. When I was single, I made a batch every week for lunches and froze leftovers. Having a family, I regularly have one on rotation.
This Butternut Squash and Apple Soup with Tahini and Tamarind is comforting, warm, super flavorful, and comes together so quickly. Serve it next to a salad and crusty bread for any lunch or dinner throughout the week.
Tahini
It’s no secret that I absolutely love tahini, a paste made from sesame seeds used throughout Syrian and the Levant. Traditionally, it’s used to flavor dishes and sauce, like kofta bisaniyeh, kibbeh arnabiyeh (kibbeh in tahini citrus sauce), and roasted cauliflower with tahini and aleppo pepper. It’s used as a nonstick agent in baking, like in namoura (syrup-soaked semolina cake). It also provides a wonderful nuttiness and creamy quality to hummus. I even love it in salad dressing and oatmeal. Its uses are honestly endless, and it will easily become part of your repertoire if it hasn’t already.
Storing Tahini
When you buy tahini, like any natural nut butter, you’ll notice the oil is separated from the solids. This is completely normal, and you can give it a stir with a spoon or knife. I usually do this in the sink in case any oil spills over the top. Store it upside down (on a plate or paper towels to catch spilling oil) to encourage the mixture to stay together.
Some people are in the tahini in fridge camp, while others are in the pantry camp. Either way, you want it in a cool, dark place, away from any direct heat source. Store-bought tahini is pasteurized, so it has a pretty long shelf life (1 year? 18 months? 2 years?), so there’s not much to worry about. If you happen to make your own, keep it in the fridge up to one month. If you do store it in the fridge, let it come to room temp before using.
Ingredients
Delicious, warm, and comforting ingredients really add to the vibe of this dish.
Onions and Garlic - The foundation to any good soup. Be patient, lightly caramelizing the onions gives the soup a deliciously sweet complexity.
Butternut Squash - One of my favorites of the squash/pumpkin varieties. I love the bright orange color, and it’s naturally sweet, making it the perfect ingredient in soups, salads, or roasted in its own. It’s also loaded with potassium, vitamin A, and fiber. You can use frozen cubes, or you can peel fresh squash, take out the seeds, and cut into cubes. It’s helpful to have a longer chef’s knife for that job.
Apples - Apples and butternut squash go so well together. They add some mild sweetness and tanginess, which really give it another dimension. I prefer some variety of pink or red apple, but you can try green apples for some added acidity (or maybe all the above!)
Potatoes - Potatoes balance out the other flavors of the soup and helps it to be more hearty.
Tahini - Tahini, or sesame paste, adds a wonderful nutty and creamy quality to the soup. It tends to thicken as it cools, so if you serve leftover soup, you might want to add water and readjust seasoning.
Tamarind Paste - Tamarind is a brown fruit that produces a sweet and tangy pulp, which is made into a paste by adding warm water. It’s widely used throughout South Asia and in Mexican cuisine. You’ll occasionally find it in Arabic dishes in place of pomegranate molasses. Its acidity is a bit milder compared to the latter. In the US, you might be able to find tamarind concentrate at any supermarket. As the name states, the flavor is more concentrated, so you might want to start with a little bit and add to taste.
Cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, ginger, cardamom - These warm, comforting spices go perfectly with the apples and butternut squash.
Crème Fraîche - I love crème fraîche to top soups. It’s creamier and milder than sour cream, making it super versatile. You can use sour cream in its place or swirl coconut cream on top of your soup for a dairy free alternative.
Hazelnuts - Every soup needs a crunchy garnish, and buttery toasted hazelnuts are the perfect accompaniment to the squash and apples.
Rosemary - With squash, apples, and hazelnuts, I knew I had to throw rosemary into the mix somewhere. It will be used to season the hazelnuts.
The Method
In a Dutch oven, you’ll start by lightly caramelizing some finely chopped onions. With a couple tablespoons of olive oil set over medium or medium-low heat (depending on your burner). I like to throw my onions in while the oil is still cool and add a pinch of salt. I’ll let it sit until it starts to sizzle, and then I’ll give it a nice stir. I stir mine frequently so the onions all develop an even color. Once they get translucent, keep watching them. They’ll start to turn slightly yellow then golden.
At this point, throw in your minced garlic and spices. Toss them around for about a minute until they’re fragrant, being careful not to burn the garlic. This will also toast your spices, releasing some of their flavors.
Add your chopped squash, apples, and potatoes, stir, and let it cook for about a minute or 2 before adding water and another teaspoon of salt.
Let the whole thing come to a boil, cover, and reduce to a simmer and cook for about 20 minutes.
While the soup cooks, in a small fry pan, melt a tablespoon of butter. Once the foam subsides, add 2 rosemary sprigs, and toss it around until it lets out a nice aroma and is starting to brown. Add the hazelnuts and toast until golden, about 3-4 minutes.
Once the squash and potatoes are soft, you can then blend the soup with either an upright blender in batches or with a hand blender. I really prefer a hand blender, since transferring piping hot liquid into another vessel does not sound ideal, but if you only have an upright blender, it will totally work.
Add the tahini, tamarind, and more water if necessary. Keep in mind that the soup will thicken as it cools, so you might want it a bit runnier than you’d think.
Ladle the soup into bowls, top each bowl with crème fraîche, chopped hazelnuts, and enjoy!
Variations
Squash - I really think any squash or pumpkin variety would work well here. You might need to adjust the cooking times slightly depending on its firmness, but I’d love to hear how it works out if you replace it!
Tamarind - I love the sweet tanginess of tamarind, but if you prefer pomegranate molasses, you can use that too. Adjust the quantity to taste.
Water - If you prefer to use low sodium or homemade chicken or veggie stock, it will definitely taste excellent. Adjust salt quantities to taste.
Crème Fraîche - As mentioned above, you can use sour cream or coconut cream for a dairy free alternative.
Hazelnuts - Any nut will probably work really well here. Pecans, almonds, cashews, you name it!
Spices - If you don’t have or don’t like any of the spices, you can definitely leave some out. You can also replace them with cumin and coriander.
Equipment
Dutch Oven - What I love about soup is that it truly is a one pot meal. My favorite pot is my Le Creuset Dutch Oven. It distributes and retains heat evenly, so my onions caramelize and my vegetables cook so quickly.
Blender - Either an upright blender or immersion hand blender work really well here. Pro tip: you can also use an immersion blender to make whip cream, whip egg whites into peaks, mixing salad dressing, and so many other uses.
Storage and Reheating
You can obviously serve the soup the same day, but it tastes even better the next day. You can keep it in the same pot in the fridge and just place it right back on the stove the day of serving. You can also store it in glass containers (it will stay good for about 5 days).
You can definitely reheat in the microwave, but I prefer the stovetop since the bowl gets so hot. To do so on the stove, add a bit of water and reheat gently in a pot stirring frequently so the tahini doesn’t settle on the bottom. Take it off the heat once it’s steaming aggressively, but not yet to a boil. Add more water if it’s thickened and adjust seasoning before serving.
Top Tips
Using already cut butternut squash cubes saves a bit of time (and it’s just as tasty).
If you’re adding water to adjust the consistency, make sure you taste the soup for seasoning as well.
I hope you enjoy Butternut Squash and Apple Soup with Tahini and Tamarind as much as my family does. If you make Butternut Squash and Apple Soup with Tahini and Tamarind, let me know by leaving a comment below!
As always, I love to see your creations. Please leave a review and share your dish on social media with #omayahcooks which lets me know what’s working for you! You can find me on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Pinterest. For more delicious recipes and monthly meal prep plans, sign up for my newsletter!
Butternut Squash and Apple Soup with Tahini and Tamarind
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 medium onions, chopped finely
- 2 garlic cloves, smashed or minced
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 kg/2 lbs butternut squash or pumpkin, peeled, seeded, and cubed
- 4 apples, peeled, cored, and cubed
- 1 potato, peeled and cubed
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp ginger
- 1/2 tsp nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp cardamom
- 1/2 tsp cloves
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/8 tsp cayenne (optional)
- 4 c water or stock
- 1 c tahini
- 1/2 c tamarind paste, or tamarind concentrate to taste
- 1 tbsp butter or coconut oil
- 2 rosemary sprigs
- 1/2 c hazelnuts
- 225 g/8 oz crème fraîche
- Aleppo pepper flakes (optional)
Instructions
- Set a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot over medium or medium-low heat.
- Add the olive oil, onions, and 1 tsp of salt to the pot. Wait until you hear it sizzling, and give it a stir. Stir it frequently (but not constantly) until the onions turn slightly golden, just past translucent, about 7-10 minutes. If the onions start to brown, turn the heat down.
- Add the garlic and spices. Cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, being careful not to burn the garlic.
- Add the squash, apples, potatoes, and another tsp of salt. Stir to evenly coat for about a minute or two.
- Add the water or stock. Bring it to a boil over high heat. Cover, and reduce to low heat to simmer for about 20-30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, toast the hazelnuts. In a small fry pan, melt the butter or coconut oil. Once the foam subsides (for the butter), add the rosemary sprigs. Stir constantly until it starts to brown a bit and release its flavors, about 1-2 minutes.
- Add the hazelnuts and toss frequently until golden, about 3-4 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl to cool then chop coarsely. Take the rosemary leaves off the sprigs and combine with the hazelnuts.
- After about 20 minutes, check to see if the vegetables can be pierced easily with a fork. Blend the soup with an immersion hand blender or in an upright blender in batches.
- Add the tahini and tamarind. You may need to add another cup or 2 of water to get the right soup consistency.
- Taste for salt and adjust seasoning. You can serve it immediately, ladling into bowls and topping with crème fraîche, Aleppo pepper flakes, chopped hazelnuts, and rosemary leaves.
- Or you can allow to cool and refrigerate, allowing the flavors to marinate and serving the next day. Reheat gently on the stove, stirring frequently. Don't allow it to come to a boil.