Butternut Squash Soup

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Gluten-Free/Vegetarian/Nut-Free

Skill Level: Beginner

Yield: 8 servings

Prep Time: 20-25 minutes

Cook Time: 40-45 minutes

Equipment Needed:

• Cutting board

• Chef's knife

• Vegetable peeler

• Dutch oven or stock pot

• Blender

The Recipe:

This recipe was inspired by a recipe written by America's Test Kitchen

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

• 1 onion, chopped fine

• 2 garlic cloves, minced

• 2 1/2 pound butternut squash, cut into 1 1/2-inch chunks (about 8 cups cubed)

• 1 granny smith apple, peeled and diced into 1/2-1-inch chunks

• 3 celery stalks, sliced into 1/4-inch wide pieces

• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves (or 1/4 teaspoon dried ground thyme)

• Pinch ground nutmeg

• 5 cups vegetable or chicken stock

• 1/2 cup heavy cream, half-and-half, or milk

• Kosher salt and pepper, to taste

Procedure:

1. Melt butter in a large Dutch oven or stock pot over medium heat.

2. Add onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes (reduce heat if onion starts to brown around edges).

3. Add garlic and stir for about 30 seconds, or until you can smell the garlic.

4. Stir in the squash, apple, celery, thyme, nutmeg, and chicken or vegetable stock.

5. Bring to a simmer, cover, and cook until the squash is tender when pierced with the tip of a sharp knife, 20 to 25 additional minutes.

6. Puree the soup in batches in a blender or food processor until smooth.

7. Return pureed soup to the pot, and stir in cream, half-and-half, or milk.

8. Allow the soup to return to a simmer, then remove from the heat. Season with Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Taste, and adjust seasonings to your preferences.

9. Store in a covered container in the fridge for 3-4 days.

To Serve: I really consider butternut squash soup to be a blank canvas for toppings. I love a drizzle of chili oil (pictured above), fried capers or shallots, bacon bits, a sprinkle of nutmeg or fresh thyme, homemade croutons...the possibilities are endless. I also like to serve homemade biscuits, focaccia bread, or easy puff pastry cheese straws with my soups for dipping :)

Adjusting for your diet: If you follow a vegan diet, you could substitute olive oil for the butter, and cashew cream for the dairy addition at the end. I have the steps and ingredients needed to make a simple cashew cream available in my Vegan Corn Chowder recipe.

Tips:

• This recipe makes a healthy amount of soup, but it also freezes beautifully! Ladle extras into gallon or quart-sized freezer bags and lay flat on a cookie sheet in your freezer to freeze for space-saving storage. Your soup can remain frozen for up to 2 months. The night before you want to serve your leftover soup, pop the bag into the fridge to thaw, then transfer to a pot on the stovetop 10-15 minutes before you intend to serve. Reheat over medium-low to medium heat, stirring often, until hot.

• I love the addition of apple and celery to this soup; I believe it adds to the depth of flavor as well as a little more nutrition. However, one or both of these ingredients could be omitted without altering the consistency of the soup too much.

• Make sure you have a nice sharp knife to use when you are preparing your squash, as raw butternut squash is a very hard vegetable and can be difficult to tackle if you're taking it on for the first time. Use a vegetable peeler to remove as much of the peel as you can, then cut off the root and stem end. Stand the squash upright on your cutting board on it's thick, round end and cut in half lengthwise. Use a spoon or melon baller to scoop out the seeds and stringy membrane (much like you would if cleaning out a pumpkin to make a jack-o-lantern). Cut the squash crosswise into pieces that are about 1/2-3/4 inch wide, then cut each of those pieces into smaller chunks.

• Acorn squash could be substituted for the butternut squash, if desired.

• I like to use heavy cream in this recipe because I like the thickness and richness it gives the soup. However, as noted in the recipe, you could easily sub in half-and-half or any percentage of milk for a lightened-up version.

• You could definitely play around with the flavor profile on this one; try substituting a different herb such as sage or rosemary for the thyme, or adding 1-2 tablespoons of curry powder.

• If you have an immersion blender, you could use that instead of a blender or food processor. I will admit that I am not the biggest fan of them; I just don't feel they do the job as well as my blender can (but you do you!).

The Story:

Is there anything cozier than soup season?! I love tucking into a steaming bowl of fragrant goodness on a chilly evening in Minnesota. We call them "tummy warmers" in our house.

After adding all ingredients, ready to cook!

I have always loved butternut squash soup, but I'll admit that sometimes it seems a little boring or one-note. I've been playing around with my old faithful recipe, making some additions and subtractions this season. I over-bought on celery just before Thanksgiving this year, so I thought, why not? Celery is a good source of antioxidants, it contains 25 anti-inflammatory compounds that can protect your body from inflammation, it supports digestion, and contains Vitamins A, K, and C, plus the minerals potassium and folate. Seemed like it would make a great addition!

I also decided to experiment with different toppings for my soup this fall to see if I could find one to liven up my soup a bit. I tried fried shallots a month or so ago, and while I liked the texture and flavor, they definitely didn't add much contrast or visual interest. Asian-style chili oil had been on my list of recipes to tinker with, so again I thought, why not?

My chili oil

THIS was the squash soup topping of my dreams!! It added spice, color, and interest to my rich and velvety soup. I only needed a small drizzle to achieve a big flavor boost. On it's own, this soup is really something special as well; big squash flavor and slightly sweet with a beautiful texture. I think it will make a great and simple addition to your soup repertoire!

Happy tasting!