Fall Butternut Squash Soup
There is nothing better than a hearty bowl of homemade soup to warm you up on a cold winter day.
Despite the misconception, soups are actually very easy to prepare and make, whilst the list of ingredients is longer than other appetisers, the layers of flavor they impart are unbeatable
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This soup is sweet, warm, spiced and delicious. Roasting squash brings the buttery sweetness to the surface and gives full depth to the soup flavor.
Ingredients
1 large butternut squash (2-3 pounds) halved or quartered and seeds removed
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
32 oz chicken stock
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 yellow onion - diced
2 potatoes - pelled and diced
1 stalk celery - diced
1 carrot - pelled and diced
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 cinnamon stick
Salt and pepper to taste
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking tray with aluminum foil. Cut the butternut squash in half, brush with olive oil, season with salt and pepper and roast in the oven for 30-45 minutes or until fork tender.
Remove squash from the oven, and let cool. Peel the squash with regular hand peeler, and cut into cubes. Keep in a bowl to one side.
Melt the butter in a large pot, and cook the onion, celery, carrots and potatoes until soft (approx. 15 minutes). Add the roasted squash and cook for 5 more minutes, stirring continuously.
Add the chicken stock (enough to cover vegetables), cinnamon sticks, turmeric, nutmeg and bring to a boil. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Add the chicken stock (enough to cover vegetables), cinnamon sticks, turmeric, nutmeg and bring to a boil. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Reduce heat to low, cover pot, and simmer for 45 minutes, or until all vegetables are soft and tender.
Remove from the heat, and use a hand-held immersion blender to purée the soup (alternatively pour into a standard blender and pulse) until silky-smooth. Return to the pot, and add any remaining chicken stock as per your preferred consistency. Season again with salt and pepper, to taste.
Serve with a garnish of cream and sprig of fresh herbs.
Additional Tips :
- For a curried soup, add 1/2 teaspoon of curry powder, 1/2 teaspoon of chili powder
- To add more spice, add 1 fresh red cayenne pepper (seeded and chopped) or cayenne pepper powder for some spicy bite
- Just like all soups, ingredients and flavors can be altered to meet certain tastes. Find what suits you and your family's' tastes, and adapt the recipe accordingly.
- Like most soups, it is best to make them ahead of time (usually a day or two), this helps to develop the layers and depth of flavors.
middleeastcoastchef