Happy New Year...how about some butternut squash soup?

I thought I would post something quick and easy for my first recipe: butternut squash soup.  Like so many of my recipes, this one started off as a concoction and turned out pretty well.  I don't actually use a food scale (though I do I have one....and should probably dig it out), so this recipe has a lot of variance in the amount of seasoning depending on the size of the produce.  I almost always cook to taste, and suggest that you do the same :)


Let's get started!

Ingredients:

1 small onion

2 cloves of garlic

2 large carrots

1 large apple, such as gala

1 small butternut squash

About 1 cup of reduced sodium chicken stock

Pinch of nutmeg

Pinch of cinnamon 
Pinch of cayenne pepper, if desired

About 1 cup of fat free half and half 

Salt and pepper to taste

 

Instructions:

Prep the produce:  peel and chop the butternut squash, chop the onion, mince the garlic, peel and chop the carrot, and peel and chop the apple.  Try to make sure all of the produce is bite sized and all about the same size for even cooking.

Heat a soup pot over medium heat.  Add enough olive oil to coat the bottom of the pot.  Add the onions and garlic, season with a little salt and pepper, and sweat them for a few minutes.  

Add the carrots and continue cooking for about 5 minutes.

Add the apple and continue to cook for a few more minutes.  At this point, everything should be (at least) slightly tender.

Add the butternut squash to the pot and add enough chicken stock to cover the all of the veggies - just enough to go slightly over the top of them.  Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer, cooking uncovered until the squash and carrots are fork tender, about 20 mins.

Reduce the heat to low and carefully puree the mixture with an immersion blender until smooth. (You could also pour it into a blender or food processor or mash it with a potato masher for chunkier texture.)

Add in about 1/2 - 1 cup of half and half until the soup has reached your desired consistency and season to taste with nutmeg, cinnamon, cayenne, and salt and pepper.

Enjoy!

PS....this recipe is as of yet incomplete.  I am working on a crunchy topping for it.  More to come!