Butternut Squash Soup

Speaking of comfort food, I have been massively crushing on any and all kinds of soup as of late. It never fails, every time we go out to Panera, I get a large bowl of Chicken Noodle soup and a baguette. Even when it was 80+ degrees out in the middle of August.

Now that the weather is going full on chilly, it's time for everybody else to enjoy what I have been for months. For the past year or two, I keep telling myself I am going to try my hand at a butternut squash soup, and it never happens. Then squash is out of season and I'm forced to wait until the leaves starting turning colors again. Not this year.

I thought I had a recipe all picked out and ready to go when I got started, but one thought led to another, and all of a sudden it was totally and completely different. I just added a bit of this here, that there, and doesn't this sound like it would go in great with all the flavors? I have to admit, I'm not sure I've ever been happier with an original dish outcome.

Butternut Squash Soup

Original Recipe

1 medium to large butternut squash (about 4-5 pounds whole)
1 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar
3 tablespoons butter, divided
1 stalk celery, diced
1 cup onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup carrots, diced
4 cups fat-free, reduced-sodium chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 heaping teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground curry
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 cup heavy cream

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil. Cut the squash in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds. Top each half with 1 tablespoon butter (cut into pieces), and about 3-4 teaspoons of brown sugar. Place squash in oven and roast for 1 hour.

Once the squash is done roasting, melt the remaining 1 tablespoon butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add the celery, onion, garlic, and carrots. Saute for about 5 minutes, or until the vegetables begin to soften. Add the chicken broth to the pot. While the broth is coming to a simmer, scoop out the squash and add it to the pot, discarding the skin. Cover pot, reduce heat to medium-low and let simmer for 40 minutes.

Transfer mixture in batches to a blender to puree until smooth, or use a hand blender. Add seasonings and spices to taste (add more ginger or cayenne pepper if you want the soup to have a little kick). Stir in the heavy cream and serve.

Serves: 6

This soup is thick and hearty, and I added close to (if not more than) a 1/2 teaspoon of ginger, so it definitely had a bit of a bite to it. The flavors all come together -- the sweet mixed with the savory, in such a perfect fall-ish way. Almost for a minute making me wish winter baking wasn't just around the corner. (But who am I kidding, cookies trump soup any day.)

Nutrition Facts
Serving Size 444g
Amount per serving
Calories 202	Calories from fat 72
% Daily Value
Total Fat 8.0g	12%
Saturated Fat 4.9g	24%
Cholesterol 22mg	7%
Sodium 563mg	23%
Total Carbs 33.5g	11%
Fiber 5.7g	23%
Sugars 8.9g
Protein 3.7g
Vitamin A 549%	Vitamin C 85%
Calcium 13%	Iron 11%