This easy recipe for butternut chai soup is full of cinnamon, nutmeg and other spices, and features a pretty drizzle of apple flavored cream on top! A warm and flavorful soup that is as delicious as it is pretty.
I fell head over heels in love with chai tea several years ago when my friend Susan took me by the hand, led me into Starbucks, bought me a chai tea latte, put it in my hands and said, “Trust me.”
Ever since then I have been a complete sucker for anything with the word “chai” in the title. And I also love butternut squash, so this recipe had to happen.
When you think about it, butternut is a close cousin to pumpkin, chai spices include a lot of the sweet and spicy flavors you find in pumpkin pie…so it kind of was a match made in heaven.
And to (literally) top it all off, the recipe also calls for a quick and wonderful topping that you make by stirring together a little sour cream, a little apple cider and a little cinnamon.
You drizzle a little bit on the top of your soup just before serving it, and if you want to get super elegant you can take the tip of a knife and swirl it gently through the creme to make a little design.
It’s kind of like Spin Art (remember that, all you children of the 70’s?).
So there you go, butternut chai soup. If anyone comes across a recipe for chai pizza, call me!
Butternut Chai Soup
Prep Time: 20 minutes- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: Lunch
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
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This easy recipe for butternut chai soup is full of cinnamon, nutmeg and other spices, and features a pretty drizzle of apple flavored cream on top!
Ingredients
For the drizzle sauce
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1/4 cup apple cider or apple juice
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
For the soup
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1/2 sweet onion, peeled and chopped
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
- 3 cups butternut squash, cut into 1 inch cubes (see note)
- 3 stalks of celery, chopped
- 3 1/2 cups chicken broth
- 1 cup apple cider
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Firs make the drizzle: Mix sour cream, apple cider and cinnamon in a small bowl. Cover and pop it in the fridge to mellow out while you make the soup.
- Put the butter in a deep pot over medium high heat. Add onions and stir until they are tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon, allspice and ginger. Give it all a good stir.
- Stir in butternut squash, celery, chicken broth and apple cider. Cover, reduce heat to medium and simmer until the butternut squash is tender, about 15 minutes. Move it to a cool stove burner to cool off a bit.
- Pour the butternut mixture into your blender and puree until it is smooth (you may have to do this in batches, depending on your blender.
- Return to the soup to the pot and stir in milk and salt. Turn on the heat to medium and bring to a simmer.
- Serve soup with a generous drizzle of the sour cream mixture (pro tip: drizzle a circle on top and then run the point of a knife through it to make a design!)
Notes
You can usually find already cut up butternut squash in the produce section of your supermarket, but if you want to tackle your own butternut here is a handy method from my friends at The Kitchn.
The same thing happened with me re: the chai latte. I never understood the Starbucks addiction because I can't drink coffee, but then I realized that they have tea lattes too and so I ordered the chai latte and now I am COMPLETELY addicted.
I can't get enough of anything with chai in it.
Beautiful picture
How in the world did you manage to draw a flower (is that an iris?) on the soup with cream? That is so beautiful, it's ridiculous!
Thanks! The cream flower was a complete lucky accident — I was swirling the cream around with the tip of a knife and that's what came out!
The flower is so beautiful! I see above me that you say it was an accident…great accident :) I agree with Veronica it looks just like an Iris.
Now onto the soup….delicious! I enjoy chai but rarely ever order it. Not sure why. I gotta give this soup a try before the warm weather gets here (a girl can dream right?) :)
that's purty, kate! not only that, but i LOVE chai, and i think the butternut squash is the perfect medium for those spices. very nice indeed.