a guide to butternut squash soup
Current mood: creative
Category: Food and Restaurants

I have been in a cooking mood lately and last week I cooked a giant pot of butternut squash soup. I gave some to several friends and everyone loved it, so to simplify the sharing I thought I'd post this blog.

Dina's butternut squash soup (a guide not a recipe) season as you like, using more or less any of the elements and add your own twist.

Some fun things to add, roasted green chilis or chilpotle peppers or jalapenos. Let me know what you do to make it your own.

1) halve and clean (do not peel) 2 butternut squash, sprinkle them with salt and pepper and a little olive oil.
2) Place in a baking dish with about 1/2" water in it
3) Place in a 450 degree oven for 1-1.5 hours (checking every 15 min to add water if needed)

Stock
4) Wash thoroughly and chop 1 large leek
5) Chop 8 cloves of garlic (use more or less as you like)
6) Chop 1 large sweet onion (like vidalia)
7) Chop 4T basil and 4T Parsley
8) In a large stock pot, add 2-3T of butter and 3T olive Oil and add all of the chopped ingredients
9) Once the garlic is lightly browned (barely) add 1 qt of stock (chicken or veg, I prefer chicken)
10) Add salt and pepper to taste
11) Let simmer over very low heat while squash finishes
Note: at this point this is a great base for almost any soup (add potatoes and more leeks for potato leek soup, add chicken and veg for chk soup etc)

12) When squash is finished let it cool so you can handle it
13) Scoop out the squash insides (should be soft) and add to stock
14) Add more basil and parsley (4-T each) and 4-5 leaves of fresh sage
15) Puree entire pot using a stick blender (ideal) or let cool and run all soup through regular blender in small batches
16) Add more stock until you have a good thick consistency (I added 1 qt, but could be more or less, depending on what you like)
17) Remove from heat add 1/4 c or so Heavy Cream

To serve make croutons sprinkled with parmesan cheese
  OR
Garnish soup with a little parmesan cheese and make sourdough smoked gruyere grilled cheese and serve on the side

Currently listening : The Milk of Human Kindness By Caribou Release date: 03 May, 2005

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