My husbands family adores butternut squash. I do not know if I can honestly say I had ever even had butternut squash before I spent my first Thanksgiving with them. But there it was, this gorgeous, golden orange mash, right alongside the potatoes on the Thanksgiving buffet. I am so grateful that this flavor is now part of my Thanksgiving canon. It is sweet and earthy and so ridiculously good for you.I have also discovered that I love butternut squash soup. And really, after a few days of Thanksgiving leftover indulgence (pumpkin pie for breakfast, turkey melt sandwiches for lunch) I find a light soup like this butternut squash quite welcome. It is comforting but not cloying. The recipe is from Giada De Laurentiis. Her recipe calls for a fontina crostini. I like it as is with a bit of cheese (sharp English cheddar) and crackers (pepper poppyseed water crackers are the current addiction) on the side.
Butternut Squash Soup
2 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 medium carrot, peeled and chopped into 1/2-inch pieces
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 1/2 pounds butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 3/4-inch pieces (about 7 to 8 cups) (peeling a butternut squash is the least fun job ever- please be careful)
6 cups low-sodium chicken stock
1/4 cup chopped fresh sage leaves
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1) In an 8-quart stockpot, add the butter and oil and melt together over medium-high heat. Add the onion and carrot and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is soft, about 5 minutes.
2) Stir in the garlic and cook until aromatic, about 30 seconds.
3) Add the squash and the chicken stock. Bring the mixture to a boil and add the sage. Continue to boil until the vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes.
4) Turn off the heat. Using an immersion blender, blend the mixture until smooth and thick. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Keep the soup warm over low heat. (A small note: While this recipe utilizes an immersion blender, I think a food mill or regular blender would work just fine. I do have to say that I treasure my immersion blender and give it all my gold stars for ease of use.)
Mmmmm. I also love butternut squash. I didn't really start eating it until I used one to make baby food when Connor was a baby - it was then I discovered how YUMMY it is (and how good for you, too).
ReplyDeleteWondering ... I always roast my butternut squash - then you have NO PEELING. I cut it in half and put it in a dish with maybe 1/2 inch of water. Roast at 400 for 45 mins or until skin puckers and squash is tender. From there, you can just scoop out the flesh and puree ... wouldn't that work for this soup, too?
Gonna have to try it - I'm all about soups for winter! :)
(I also used some butternut squash puree in my homemade pumpkin pie this year b/c I didn't have enough pumpkin puree. Nobody even noticed!)
yummy! (both for the soup and the pot it was cooked in)
ReplyDeleteShannon- I think you are definitely on to something. I like your idea of roasting the squash and bypassing the peeling stage (which is like the worst part of the whole recipe). Thanks for the tip!
ReplyDelete