Wednesday, December 7, 2011

Warming Butternut Squash Soup ~ A Recipe


There are oh so many butternut squash soup recipes out there to choose from.  So why add another one?  Because I've yet to find one I like more than this (in complete humility, of course).  Tehe.  Honestly, you can use any winter squash in this soup (pumpkin, acorn... just not spaghetti) as long as it's been roasted.   This soup can be made silky smooth if you purée it in a high-speed blender like a Vita-Mix.  I just used a basic immersion blender for this batch, hence the lumpy look.  Don't get me wrong, though.  It still goes down smoothly.  Like buttuh.

Butternut Squash Soup
Serves 6-8
  • 1 onion, minced
  • 4 Tablespoons healthy cooking fat of your choice (butter, expeller-pressed coconut oil, bacon grease from pastured pigs, etc.)
  • 1 large or 2 small butternut squashes (or another winter squash/mixture of squashes; you'll need about 6 cups altogether)
  • 1 quart chicken stock
  • 1 cup apple cider
  • 1/2 to 1 cup white wine (depending on taste)
  • 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1/2 teaspoon thyme
  • 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese
  • Celtic sea salt and pepper to taste (about 1 tsp. each is what I usually use)

  1. Preheat oven to 350.  Cut ends off squash and cut in half lengthwise.  Spoon out seeds and stringy membranes.  Put halves flat-side-down in a cooking dish with about 1/2 cup water in it.  Bake about 45 minutes or until the meat is scoopable with a spoon.
  2. While squash bakes, melt cooking fat in a soup pot.  Add onions and sauté until translucent.  
  3. Add cooked squash to the onions, then the chicken stock, apple cider, and white wine.  Cover and bring to a boil.  Spoon out any foam that comes to the surface and add nutmeg, thyme, and red pepper flakes to the soup.  Simmer for about 10 minutes.
  4. Turn the heat off and add garlic, cream cheese, salt, and pepper.  Mix well and use a blender to purée.  Serve warm in bowls and sprinkle some nutmeg on top.

10 comments:

  1. that looks awesome. i love squash soups. will have to try it soon with the squash in the cupboard...

    my recent post: the great adventure

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  2. I am so making this this weekend for an army of 15. I'll let you know!

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  3. I am so making this this weekend for an army of 15. I'll let you know!

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  4. I hardly ever comment on recipes because, like anything, it's hard to find the time, but I wanted to make sure to tell you that this is an AWESOME recipe. The flavors are perfect! I didn't even have any wine on hand (just added 1/2 cup more broth) and it was delicious. I can't wait to try it with the wine! Thank you! I have been trying quite a few of your recipes lately and will try to comment on the others!

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  5. Thank you! I'm so glad you liked the soup! It's always lovely to get feedback on recipes. :) Blessings!

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  6. This sounds delicious, I love your twist on it! I'm hosting a weekly blog carnival specifically for soups, stocks and chowders, every Sunday! I would love it if you would come over and post this recipe. Here's a link with more information:

    http://easynaturalfood.com/2011/10/17/introducing-sunday-night-soup-night/

    I hope to see you there!
    Debbie

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  7. Thanks for letting me know about your link up; it sounds like fun! :)

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  8. Thanks so much for sharing this recipe with Sunday Night Soup Night! I'll be hosting weekly through fall and winter, so I'd love to see you again with your next soup/stock/chowder recipe.

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  9. I don't have any cider so wondered if organic apple juice will work?

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  10. Hi Kristen! Yes, apple juice will definitely work. :)

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