Sunday, April 5, 2009

Butternut Squash Soup

This is my go-to soup nowadays. It's both comfort food and healthy food (depending on how you make it). I often switch up the recipe. Garlic or no garlic? Bacon grease or olive oil with a pat of butter? Heavy cream or milk or sour cream? Should I roast the squash first? As you can see, this recipe is in flux. Here's my current favorite way:

--1 medium yellow or vidalia onion, chopped
--1 clove of garlic, minced
--1 tbsp bacon grease (just...trust me)
--1 butternut squash, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
--4 cups low-sodium chicken stock
--1 tsp cinnamon
--1/2 tsp nutmeg
--1/2 tsp Sea Salt
--1/3 cup heavy cream

Melt the bacon grease in a large sauce pan on medium-to-low heat. Add the onion and slowly saute. When the onion is half cooked, add the garlic, and saute until the onion has turned clear. Add the butternut squash, chicken stock, cinnamon, nutmeg, and sea salt. Bring to a boil and turn heat to low. Cover and let simmer for about 10-12 minutes, or until the squash is tender. Remove from heat. Spoon stock and squash into a blender (this may require multiple batches if your blender is small). Add the heavy cream and puree until smooth. Adjust salt if necessary. Serve with a salad and fresh bread for dipping.

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