Cooking Light Golden Winter Soup with Gruyere Toasts

Warm up your winter evenings with this comforting and flavorful Golden Winter Soup with Gruyere Toasts. This hearty vegetarian soup combines the earthy sweetness of butternut squash, carrots, and parsnips with the subtle richness of caramelized onions and garlic, all simmered to perfection in low-sodium vegetable broth. Blended into a silky puree, it’s a healthy and satisfying bowl of coziness. Optional heavy cream adds a luscious finish, but the true star is the Gruyere toasts—crusty baguette slices smothered in nutty, bubbling Gruyere cheese, broiled to golden perfection. Perfect for a light dinner, this dish is easy to prepare in under an hour and makes a stunning cold-weather meal. Ideal for showcasing fresh, seasonal produce, this recipe is sure to become a go-to favorite!

Nutriscore Rating: 80/100

Prep Time:20 mins

Cook Time:40 mins

Total Time:60 mins

Servings: 4

Ingredients

• 4 cups butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cubed
• 2 cups carrots, peeled and sliced
• 1 cup parsnips, peeled and sliced
• 1 large yellow onion, chopped
• 5 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 0.5 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 0.25 cup heavy cream (optional)
• 6 pieces baguette slices
• 0.75 cup Gruyere cheese, shredded
• 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped (optional garnish)

Directions

Step 1

Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat.

Step 2

Add the chopped onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes.

Step 3

Stir in the minced garlic and cook for an additional 1 minute until fragrant.

Step 4

Add the butternut squash, carrots, parsnips, vegetable broth, salt, and pepper to the pot.

Step 5

Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 25-30 minutes, or until all vegetables are tender.

Step 6

Remove the pot from heat and use an immersion blender to puree the soup until smooth. Alternatively, carefully transfer the mixture in batches to a countertop blender and blend until silky.

Step 7

Stir in the heavy cream if desired. Taste and adjust seasonings as necessary.

Step 8

For the Gruyere toasts, preheat your broiler. Place baguette slices on a baking sheet and top each with shredded Gruyere cheese.

Step 9

Broil for 1-2 minutes until the cheese is melted and bubbly. Keep a close eye on them to prevent burning.

Step 10

Ladle the soup into bowls and serve with a Gruyere toast on the side or floating on top. Garnish with fresh parsley if desired.

Nutrition Facts

Serving size	(3175.7g)

Amount per serving	% Daily Value*
Calories	2085.3

Total Fat 80.6g	0%
Saturated Fat 33.9g	0%
Polyunsaturated Fat 2.7g
Cholesterol 156.8mg	0%
Sodium 5160.3mg	0%
Total Carbohydrate 298.5g	0%
Dietary Fiber 58.1g	0%
Total Sugars 59.4g
Protein 57.8g	0%

Vitamin D 18IU	0%
Calcium 1566.5mg	0%
Iron 15.6mg	0%
Potassium 6061.1mg	0%

*The % Daily Value tells you how much a nutrient in a serving of food contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

Source of Calories

Fat: 33.7%

Protein: 10.8%

Carbs: 55.5%