Recipe: Butternut Squash Soup
Last weekend we went to Bates Nut Farm.
And somewhere in between the wheelbarrow races and mad dashes through the pumpkin patch, we managed to select some lovely gourds to take home. Among them was a butternut squash. And with a free day today (and cold! and rain!) it was the perfect time for a delicious autumn soup.
A good butternut squash soup starts with a good stock, and you can use either vegetable or chicken. Chicken is more flavorful and generally speaking I prefer it, but vegetable stock is good too. Today I was in the mood for vegetable.
Vegetable stock is super easy to make. Just roughly cut up some vegetables (carrots, celery and onion; add garlic if you prefer) and throw it into a pot of water.
I like to brown mine in a bit of olive oil first to release some of the flavor.
Cover the vegetables with water and throw in some aromatics like peppercorns and a bay leaf. You can throw dried herbs in here too. And some salt. Bring the whole thing to a boil then simmer for about an hour.
In the meantime, preheat the oven to 400 degrees and prepare your butternut squash.
A word of caution: butternut squash is hard to cut. The skin is tough so you have to be careful. The easiest way I've found is to cut both the stem and bottom off, then put it in the microwave for a minute or two to slightly soften it. Note that the seeds and stringy stuff are only contained in the bulb. So alternatively, you could "halve" it by estimating where the bulb starts and cutting through it there, then cutting those two pieces in half instead of trying to cut it lengthwise, which may be safer in the event you don't have a good knife, a steady hand and a tourniquet.
There are a couple of ways to roast the squash. Typically, most people put it cut side down on a baking sheet or roasting pan. But I like to season my squash first, so I leave it cut side up and rub it with butter and sprinkle it with brown sugar, cinnamon, clove and nutmeg. If you're roasting cut side up, make sure to cover it with foil so it doesn't burn.
Bake that baby until it's soft and scoopable. Time depends on size of squash. Start with 25 minutes. Here's what it looks like when it's done. See that pool of liquid in the bulb? That's sweet spiced butter soup, all ready for drinkin'. Drool.
While the squash is cooling, strain the stock. At this point, you can totally cheat. If you change your mind and decide you want chicken stock instead, you can throw in a couple of bouillon cubes. Or stay honest and keep it vegetable. It's always good to keep your options open. Here's a nice golden vegetable stock. Yum!
(P.S. I totally didn't tell you about the bouillon cube thing).
When the squash is cool enough to handle, scrape all the meat out.
Side note: in case you wonder how on earth I keep my kids busy while I cook, let me show you.
Makeup sticks meant for Halloween are super useful when trying to keep the kids out of my hair!
Killi's the creative one, and Kieran's more than happy to help draw on his sister. He confessed to me later that he drew on her back and butt too. I checked. He did.
Okay, back to the soup. It's almost done!
In a blender, combine stock and squash and puree until smooth. Add butter and any additional seasonings. Then return soup to pot.
Reheat the soup, mix in some cream, and adjust seasoning again as needed. And that's it! Serve it up all nice and pretty with a dash of cinnamon and a swirl of cream. Now doesn't that just say autumn?
Butternut Squash Soup
(amounts vary because I adjust to taste)
1 yellow onion
2-3 ribs celery
2-3 carrots
olive oil
salt
peppercorns
bay leaf
butternut squash (about 2 1/2 pounds)
butter
brown sugar
cinnamon
cloves
nutmeg
brown sugar
heavy cream (about 1/4 cup)
Roughly chop vegetables. Add oil to stockpot and cook vegetables for about 10 minutes, until lightly browned. Add water to cover (I used about 8-10 cups of water). Add bay leaf, salt and peppercorns. Bring to a boil and then simmer for about an hour. Don't simmer too long or the veggies will get mushy.
Cut squash in half lengthwise and season with butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg. Cover with foil and roast at 400 degrees for 25-40 minutes, or however long it takes to soften.
When stock is done, strain the liquid. Pressing down on the vegetables helps to release extra flavor.
When squash is soft, allow to cool and then scoop out the meat.
Working in batches, puree squash and stock in a blender, adding seasonings as needed. Add in some butter too, because you deserve it. Return soup to pot. Add cream and reheat soup. Adjust for final seasonings.
And somewhere in between the wheelbarrow races and mad dashes through the pumpkin patch, we managed to select some lovely gourds to take home. Among them was a butternut squash. And with a free day today (and cold! and rain!) it was the perfect time for a delicious autumn soup.
A good butternut squash soup starts with a good stock, and you can use either vegetable or chicken. Chicken is more flavorful and generally speaking I prefer it, but vegetable stock is good too. Today I was in the mood for vegetable.
Vegetable stock is super easy to make. Just roughly cut up some vegetables (carrots, celery and onion; add garlic if you prefer) and throw it into a pot of water.
I like to brown mine in a bit of olive oil first to release some of the flavor.
Cover the vegetables with water and throw in some aromatics like peppercorns and a bay leaf. You can throw dried herbs in here too. And some salt. Bring the whole thing to a boil then simmer for about an hour.
In the meantime, preheat the oven to 400 degrees and prepare your butternut squash.
A word of caution: butternut squash is hard to cut. The skin is tough so you have to be careful. The easiest way I've found is to cut both the stem and bottom off, then put it in the microwave for a minute or two to slightly soften it. Note that the seeds and stringy stuff are only contained in the bulb. So alternatively, you could "halve" it by estimating where the bulb starts and cutting through it there, then cutting those two pieces in half instead of trying to cut it lengthwise, which may be safer in the event you don't have a good knife, a steady hand and a tourniquet.
There are a couple of ways to roast the squash. Typically, most people put it cut side down on a baking sheet or roasting pan. But I like to season my squash first, so I leave it cut side up and rub it with butter and sprinkle it with brown sugar, cinnamon, clove and nutmeg. If you're roasting cut side up, make sure to cover it with foil so it doesn't burn.
Bake that baby until it's soft and scoopable. Time depends on size of squash. Start with 25 minutes. Here's what it looks like when it's done. See that pool of liquid in the bulb? That's sweet spiced butter soup, all ready for drinkin'. Drool.
While the squash is cooling, strain the stock. At this point, you can totally cheat. If you change your mind and decide you want chicken stock instead, you can throw in a couple of bouillon cubes. Or stay honest and keep it vegetable. It's always good to keep your options open. Here's a nice golden vegetable stock. Yum!
(P.S. I totally didn't tell you about the bouillon cube thing).
When the squash is cool enough to handle, scrape all the meat out.
Side note: in case you wonder how on earth I keep my kids busy while I cook, let me show you.
Makeup sticks meant for Halloween are super useful when trying to keep the kids out of my hair!
Killi's the creative one, and Kieran's more than happy to help draw on his sister. He confessed to me later that he drew on her back and butt too. I checked. He did.
Okay, back to the soup. It's almost done!
In a blender, combine stock and squash and puree until smooth. Add butter and any additional seasonings. Then return soup to pot.
Reheat the soup, mix in some cream, and adjust seasoning again as needed. And that's it! Serve it up all nice and pretty with a dash of cinnamon and a swirl of cream. Now doesn't that just say autumn?
Butternut Squash Soup
(amounts vary because I adjust to taste)
1 yellow onion
2-3 ribs celery
2-3 carrots
olive oil
salt
peppercorns
bay leaf
butternut squash (about 2 1/2 pounds)
butter
brown sugar
cinnamon
cloves
nutmeg
brown sugar
heavy cream (about 1/4 cup)
Roughly chop vegetables. Add oil to stockpot and cook vegetables for about 10 minutes, until lightly browned. Add water to cover (I used about 8-10 cups of water). Add bay leaf, salt and peppercorns. Bring to a boil and then simmer for about an hour. Don't simmer too long or the veggies will get mushy.
Cut squash in half lengthwise and season with butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg. Cover with foil and roast at 400 degrees for 25-40 minutes, or however long it takes to soften.
When stock is done, strain the liquid. Pressing down on the vegetables helps to release extra flavor.
When squash is soft, allow to cool and then scoop out the meat.
Working in batches, puree squash and stock in a blender, adding seasonings as needed. Add in some butter too, because you deserve it. Return soup to pot. Add cream and reheat soup. Adjust for final seasonings.