Hello! It's
Recipe Tuesday and today's recipe for butternut squash soup was adapted from from my favorite food blog,
Sweet Pea's Kitchen (
love her). In the words of Christina, this soup is so rich and creamy you'll be surprised to learn that it's actually healthful - there's no cream! The key is to use a great blender (like my Ninja) or food immersion blender to make the soup extra smooth and velvety. This was the appetizer I served on Thanksgiving (I made it the day before and just heated it up on the stove) and had rave reviews from the family.
Butternut Squash Soup
- 2 1/2 lbs butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into 2" chunks
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1 onion, diced
- 4 cups vegetable or chicken broth
- 1-2 cups water
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 bay leaf
- pinch cayenne pepper
- sour cream
- chopped walnuts of hazelnuts
1. Place squash chunks in large microwave safe bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Microwave 14-18 minutes, stirring halfway through, until a paring knife glides easily through. Transfer squash colander set in large bowl; let drain for 5 minutes; reserve liquid.
2. In large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat melt the butter. Add squash, onion and 1 teaspoon of salt; cook, stirring occasionally until a brown fond forms on bottom of pot and squash pieces break down, about 10-13 minutes.
3. Add 2 cups of vegetable or chicken broth and scrape bottom of pot to loosen fond. Add remaining 2 cups broth, reserved squash liquid, 1 cup water, thyme, bay leaf and cayenne pepper. Increase heat to high and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium and simmer for anther 6-7 minutes.
4. Remove pot from heat and remove and discard the thyme and bay leaf. Working in batches, process soup in blender until smooth. Return soup to clean pot and bring to a simmer, thinning with up to 1 cup of water to desired consistency (I prefer a thick soup so I chose not to add water). Season with salt and pepper and serve with toasted hazelnuts or walnuts and a dollop of sour cream.
