Creamy Butternut Squash Soup with Lemon Balm Drizzle
A silky butternut squash soup infused with Sleep Blend tea and finished with a fresh lemon balm oil—a soothing, light evening bowl that honors the tea's calming profile.
This is a deliberately mellow soup, designed to be the kind of dinner you want when you're winding down rather than firing up. Using Sleep Blend tea as part of the cooking liquid adds a delicate floral and herbal undertone without making the soup taste like a teacup.
Roasting the butternut squash before blending deepens its natural sweetness. A small amount of leek (gentler than onion) and a single garlic clove keep the flavors quiet and clean, perfect for late-evening eating.
The lemon balm drizzle at the end is what makes this soup feel intentional. A few minutes of warming olive oil with fresh lemon balm leaves creates a fragrant green oil to swirl into each bowl—bright, citrusy, and a direct echo of the tea you'll sip alongside.
Serve with a small piece of sourdough toast and a glass of water. Aim for an hour or two before bed; the soup is light enough to digest easily, and the tea-and-lemon-balm aromatics ease the transition to sleep.
Ingredients
- 1 medium butternut squash (about 900g), peeled and cubed
- 3 cups Sleep Blend tea (3 tea bags or 3 tbsp blend in 3 cups water, steeped 8 min)
- 1 leek, white and pale green parts only, sliced
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 cup whole milk or oat milk
- 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
- Salt and white pepper
- 3 tbsp olive oil (for drizzle)
- 2 tbsp fresh lemon balm leaves, finely chopped
- Pinch of flaky salt to finish
- Optional: 1 small piece sourdough toast per serving
How to make it
- 1Preheat oven to 200°C (400°F). Toss butternut squash with 1 tbsp olive oil, salt, and pepper. Roast 25 minutes until tender and lightly caramelized.
- 2In a pot over medium-low heat, warm 1 tbsp olive oil. Add leek and cook gently 6 minutes until soft (do not brown). Add garlic and thyme; cook 1 minute.
- 3Add roasted squash and brewed Sleep Blend tea. Simmer 10 minutes to meld flavors.
- 4Blend until silky smooth with an immersion blender. Stir in milk. Season with salt and a small pinch of white pepper. Keep warm on lowest heat.
- 5For the drizzle: warm 3 tbsp olive oil very gently with chopped lemon balm in a small pan for 2 minutes (do not let it sizzle). Remove from heat and let infuse 5 minutes.
- 6Ladle soup into bowls, swirl a teaspoon of lemon balm oil on top, finish with flaky salt. Serve with a small piece of sourdough toast if desired.
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