BUTTERNUT SQUASH SOUP

     

I am currently obsessed with butternut squash!  I love it in almost every form.  It is great when peeled, cubed and roasted in the oven with a bit of extra virgin olive oil and kosher salt.  This is made even easier if you can find it –cubed, bagged and refrigerated in the produce department of your grocery store.  I have this in my local store  and it is great because I can just open up the bag of butternut squash chunks and put them directly on a baking sheet to roast in the oven.  My recipe takes this a step further by making a puree out of your squash to make soup.  I hope you will enjoy making this delicious and healthy vegetable soup for your family this week!

Ingredients:

4 cups cooked butternut squash*

*Boil butternut squash cubes in water until tender (10-12 minutes) and drain.

*OR:  Peel a butternut squash, remove the seeds and cut into large cubes.  Place the cubes on a baking sheet with sides that has been sprayed with PAM.  Spray the cubes with olive oil or sprinkle olive oil on top.  Bake at 350 until tender  (20 minutes).  Tent with foil if cubes begin to brown before they get tender.

Instructions:

*Place the cooked  squash into a heat safe blender. 

*Add a bit of liquid (water, broth, milk or cream). 

*Pulse the squash on the “puree” setting of your blender  until the squash is completely smooth and creamy.

* You may need to continue adding more liquid to the squash- a little bit at a time,  to help it puree and to reach the desired consistency.

*Empty the squash into a saucepan to heat it up.

*At this point, it is really up to you to season  your butternut squash soup according to your taste.  Following are some suggestions of additions that you can choose.

**water

**chicken or vegetable broth

**milk

**cream

**sour cream

**kosher salt

**black pepper

**tarragon, thyme or dill

**extra virgin olive oil

**balsamic vinegar

**bacon or pancetta

**butter

*After you have decided which of these additions or combinations of additions to try, you may need to add more liquid.   I usually keep it simple and add salt, milk and sour cream with a bit of dill.

*Serve your soup warm with a beautiful salad and piece of toasted bread.