Recipe Roundup

Featured Recipe

Hearty Butternut Squash Soup

My original butternut squash soup was butter, shallots, butternut squash, broth, seasonings and heavy whipping cream at the end to add a thickness and richness. It was good but not great for my dairy avoiding youngest son! When I stumbled upon a butternut soup recipe from All Recipes, added my own twists and such, the result was a heartier and healthier soup. 

This soup is fairly easy to make, especially if you buy your butternut squash already cubed! It's a great base and can be made vegan by using the vegan butter and vegetable broth or just vegetarian by using vegetable broth. If neither are something you need, or want, chicken stock can add a different flavor to this soup.

Toppings can be whatever you want, I suggested a few below we use. I serve with a big side salad and if I have my homemade sourdough available, warmed for a bit in the oven is perfect. I've also recently made homemade easy buttermilk biscuits to have and that was a hit.

I allow about 1 1/2 hours-2 from start to finish because I cut up my own squash and blend in a blender. Vegetable prep takes a bit of time but it's so worth it. You may find it goes faster for you, especially if you use the immersion blender to blend at the end.

Ingredients:

• 4-5 tbsp butter - to keep Vegan, use Miyoko's Vegan Cultured Butter (I prefer the one with a hint of sea salt)

• 1 small onion or 1/2 large, chopped (varies on personal taste)

• 2-3 stalks celery, chopped

• 1 large or 2 medium carrots, chopped (don't make too thick!)

• 3 medium Yukon gold potatoes, cubed

• 1 medium butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cubed or purchase a package of already cubed.   For my squash, I use a method I learned for watermelon. I cut my squash in half leaving the bigger side with the seeds to tackle after I work on the thinner side. I stand up the half on my cutting board and "shave" away the outer skin with a very sharp chef knife. Works pretty good. Using a sharp, heavy knife is key. Watch those fingers!

• 1-32 ounce container vegetable broth (or chicken if not doing vegetarian/vegan) plus a bit more as needed or added water will work too.

• fine ground salt and pepper to taste

• **Optional: Nutmeg (about 1teaspoon or so, depending your taste) at the end

• **If have, Nature Seasoning (by McCormick) and California Style Garlic Powder - by McCormick)

 Instructions:

1. After cutting/chopping all vegetables, I toss each one with a bit of salt and pepper (and Nature Seasoning and Garlic powder) and let sit for a few minutes - adds flavor.

2. In a soup pot, melt butter (3 tbsp). When melted add your onion, celery, carrot, potatoes and squash. Stir well and then put in the next 1-2 tablespoons of butter on top to start melting down

3. Stir now again so nothing sticks on bottom of pan, about 5 minutes or until lightly browned. I usually do this for almost 8-10 but stir!

4. Pour enough of the broth to fully cover the vegetables. Okay if you use it all (depends on size of pot - my ceramic soup pot is tall so I use the full 32 ounces right off the bat.)

5. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover pot and SIMMER for about 40 minutes or until all your vegetables are tender. You may need to slightly askew your lid to keep a nice simmer and avoid boiling your soup to death.

6. Choice to blend: a) If your pot can stand an immersion blender, this is the easiest or b) transfer the soup into a blender. I have a VitaMix so I ladle out ONLY the veggies into the blender (any that doesn't fit, into a bowl) and I blend in a batch or two, adding the blended back into the remaining broth in my soup pot. Obviously, if you have an immersion blender and can use in your soup pot, EASY!! Just fully blend. Either way - NO chunks of veggies, you are looking for smooth.

7. Add any remaining stock not used previously.

8. Stir, taste and season with additional salt and pepper if needed. Here's where I also add my nutmeg. Stir again, taste (add anything if desired) and let it simmer very low, lid off.

9. Stir occasionally, your soup will thicken. When desired consistency attained, turn off. If your soup started too thick for your liking, add a bit of water or more broth. It needs to simmer low for about 15-20 minutes to really meld all the flavors together!

10. I serve the following as extras to this soup once in bowls: Chopped scallions (green onions), chives, crusty croutons and if dairy is not an issue - Cotijo cheese. Can also include some rice (brown or basmati adds good flavor and texture.) My hubby adds chicken! Really, this is a great base soup so the sky is the limit on what you may add or top with. But it is hearty and rich all on it's own too. Enjoy!!