Butternut Squash Soup

Hello there =)

In February I went to a soup party at my boyfriends cousins house.  All the women on that side of the family brought a homemade soup (or wine) to share.  There were easily 9+ different kinds of soup to sample.  Soup, bread and wine!  It was a wonderful way to spend an afternoon.  Today’s recipe was one of them.

After sampling all of the soups, I ate two bowls the butternut squash and wanted more. Aunt G was delighted and shared her recipe.

Now, something to know about Aunt G, no recipe is safe.  She will change and doctor them all; usually for the better.  The recipe I’m sharing with you can be found in it’s original form at Simply Recipe.  Below is what I made off of the notes Aunt G scribbled on the SR version.

OK, so where I live it’s totally not butternut squash or soup season but I had to share!  Then I remembered that I do have quite a few friends (online) that are cooling down for fall right now.  So this ones for you!

Butternut Squash Soup

• Servings: 4-6
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 45 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 cup onion chopped
• 1 rib celery chopped, approx 3/4 cup
• 3/4 cup carrot chopped
• 2 TBSP butter
• 3 pounds butternut squash peeled & chopped, seeds removed
• 1 apple peeled, cored and chopped
• 3 cups chicken broth
• 1 cup water
• 1 pinch spices nutmeg, cinnamon, salt, pepper

Instructions

1. In a large pot on medium-high heat, melt the butter and let it foam up and recede. Add the onion, carrot, and celery and saute for 5 minutes. Lower the heat if the vegetables begin to brown.
2. Add the butternut squash, apple, broth and water. Bring to boil. Reduce to a simmer, cover, and simmer for about 30 minutes, until the squash and carrots have softened.
3. Use an immersion blender to puree the soup, or work in batches and puree the soup in a standing blender. See my notes below for the blender method.
4. Add pinches of nutmeg and cinnamon. Add salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with chopped fresh parsley or chives.

Recipe Notes

Just a few notes that are optional or helpful hints =)

• roasting the butternut squash prior to adding it to the pot will make it sweeter and reduce cooking time.
• the original recipe calls for a tart, green apple. Any apple will do; I used Red Delicious. Keep a ratio of 3:1 for the squash to apple.
• make the recipe vegetarian by using vegetable broth.
• If using a blender, remember… it’s hot! You may need to hold your blender lid on. And remove the lid away from you so you’re not hurt by steam.

Enjoy!