Butternut squash
is the perfect base for an autumn soup.
Butternut squash soup is the perfect pre-dinner course, particularly for the Thanksgiving or Christmas holidays. It is also a healthy option, given that butternut squash is a good source of vitamin A and fiber. There are many recipes for butternut squash soup available online and in recipe books although this particular, personal recipe has its own sweetening twist, which enhances the sweet taste of squash. The recipe will make enough for at least eight servings.
Instructions
1. Peel and de-seed one large butternut squash. Save the seeds in a small dish. Cut the butternut squash in large cubes and put it aside in a large bowl.
2. Peel and dice two carrots, two stalks of celery, two medium-sized potatoes and one medium-sized yellow onion. Put these diced vegetables aside in a second bowl.
3. Peel three large sections of garlic and cut into fine pieces. Add the garlic to the diced vegetables in the second bowl.
4. Melt four tablespoons of butter in a large soup pot. Add the butternut squash to the soup pot and saut for 10 to 15 minutes. You can substitute the butter for olive oil as a healthier option.
5. Heat two tablespoons of olive oil in a separate, large fry pan on the stove. Saute the remaining vegetables and garlic for 10 minutes, or until slightly softened.
6. Add the saut ed vegetables to the same pot as the saut ed butternut squash. Pour in enough chicken stock to cover the butternut squash and vegetables. Turn up the heat on the burner to bring this mixture to a boil.
7. Turn down the heat to low after the liquid boils and let the soup mixture simmer for at least 40 to 50 minutes.
8. Take a fork and poke it into a few random pieces of butternut squash or the vegetables to make sure they are very soft. Stir the contents of the pot and take it off the heat.
9. Put the soup pot aside until its contents have cooled down sufficiently to blend.
10. Insert a handheld blender into the well-cooked butternut squash and vegetables and blend for several minutes. The final soup should have a very creamy yet thick texture, with no lumps. You will likely need to add an extra cup or two of chicken stock while blending to prevent the soup from being too thick.
11. Clean the squash seeds with water in a colander. Spread the seeds on a greased cookie sheet and sprinkle a little oil olive and table salt over the seeds. Roast the seeds for around 10 minutes in the oven at 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Once they have slightly browned, take the seeds out of the oven and put them aside.
12. Add several heaping tablespoons of pumpkin pie spice to the soup (which includes cinnamon, allspice, ground cloves, nutmeg and ginger).
13. Add at least two cups of sweetened applesauce to the soup and stir well. Add approximately three-quarters of a cup of maple syrup and stir the soup again. You can add more of both of these ingredients, depending on your sweet tooth.
14. Add salt and pepper to the soup, to taste. Use the hand blender to do one final blend.
15. Mix one-quarter cup of sour cream, one-quarter cup of plain, low-fat yogurt, one large heaping tablespoon of low-fat mayonnaise and one-quarter cup of low-fat milk together in a separate bowl. Whisk the mixture until creamy.
16. Grate half of a granny smith apple into a bowl, with a large grater. Leave the skin on the apple when you grate it.
17.Reheat the butternut squash soup when you are ready to serve it.
18. Ladle a portion of soup into a bowl, sprinkle with a few roasted butternut squash seeds and some of the grated apple. Spoon a small portion of the blended sour cream and yogurt mixture around it, in a circular path. And, voila!
Tags: butternut squash, butternut squash soup, butternut squash vegetables, squash vegetables, bowl Peel, butternut squash, chicken stock