Stashaholic’s Butternut Squash Soup
By stashaholic | October 21, 2012
What? It’s been 105 days since my last post? How did that happen. Oh yeah – the 80 hr work weeks for the last few months…that’ll kill blog posts any day.
It’s fall now, my garden is canned and I’m waiting (impatiently) for my pressure canner to arrive. OT pay has to buy me something “frilly” before it all goes to bills.
In the meantime it’s soup season! Second only in my heart to wool season!
This is what’s on the stove today:
Stashaholic’s Butternut Squash Soup
Note that I’m guessing at amounts since I don’t measure things. Living with a chef will do that to you. Adjust flavourings to taste.
1 butternut squash
1 tbsp butter
1 quart chicken or vegetable stock
1 small spanish onion diced fine
2 ribs of celery diced fine
2 small carrots, peeled and diced fine
2 tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp cinnamon
1 c heavy cream
1/4 c butter
1 granny smith apple, pared and chopped into small pieces
salt and pepper to taste.
Preheat oven to 400F.
Cut squash in half and remove seeds and pulp (note – you can roast these – yummy!). Place 1/2 tbsp butter in each (about 2 tsp each). Divide brown sugar, nutmeg and cinnamon in the crevice in each half and sprinkle over the flat part too.
Roast for about 45 minutes or fork tender.
Remove from heat and peel as soon as you can touch comfortably. Chop roughly into 1″ pieces.
Meanwhile back at the farm,
Sauté onions, carrots, celery and apple in 2 Tbsp butter until soft (5 minutes-ish). Put in stock pot with pulp from squash, veggie/chicken stock, salt and pepper to taste. Cook for about 20 minutes at a slow boil.
Add cream and remaining butter and bring to a slow boil. Adjust seasonings to taste – add some maple syrup or more brown sugar if you want to sweeten it up if your squash isn’t sweet enough.
Then with immersion blender or regular one in batches, blend to a smooth consistency. Return to pot and bring back to a boil for 2 minutes (important step – if you don’t do this the soup will sour on storage says cheffie).
Do not substitute low fat for the butter or cream – it just ain’t right and likely will result in disappointment. This is meant to be a rich soup.
