Butternut Squash Soup

One of my new favorite blogs I am following is http://kitchenmischief.wordpress.com/.  Last weekend was cool and totally got me in the fall spirit.  So during the football game (as they suggested) I made this soup.  It was time consuming but not difficult.  So if it ever gets cool again give this soup a try!

Please excuse blurry pic

1 butternut squash (about 3 pounds)
2 large carrots
1 yellow onion
1 head of garlic (optional: see note below)
3 tsp olive oil
½ tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
32 oz chicken or vegetable broth (maybe extra)
2 cups milk (maybe extra) I use soy milk

Roasting the vegetables is the key to adding rich flavor to this soup. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees before you start chopping.

TIP: Poke the squash a few times with a fork and microwave it for 40 seconds. It helps with the peeling. Peel from the base toward you. This seemed to get more peel off without redundant hacking.

After you’ve got the peel off, use a big sharp knife to cut the squash in two pieces. You don’t want to split it down the middle yet — unless you’re using a machete, your knife isn’t big enough. Cut it in half horizontally, so you end up with the neck and base, like this:

, remove the seeds (mostly in the base) and cut the squash into cubes (about 1-inch).

Peel your carrots, and give them and your onion a very rough chop. You want big chunks so they cook along with your squash. Toss all the veggies in a bowl and coat with olive oil, salt and pepper. Empty onto a cookie sheet, and roast for 45 minutes.

Roasted!

If you’d like to add the flavor of roasted garlic to your soup (which I love), cut the top of a head of garlic, set it on a piece of aluminum foil, drizzle with olive oil, and wrap it up. It will roast to perfection along with your veggies.

You can use a regular blender, a stick blender, or a food processor. Here’s a quick review:

Stick Blender
This is the least messy option. Start by combining your milk and broth in a large dutch oven over medium heat. When it warms, add half the roasted vegetables (and all garlic, if using) and blend until smooth. Simply add the rest of the veggies and repeat. If the soup is too thick, add more broth or milk. Season to taste.

Food Processor or Regular Blender
These methods are pretty easy, and result in a smoother texture for the soup. Work in batches, combining half the liquid mixture with half the veggies, blend, pour into dutch oven, then repeat. Heat to simmer then season to taste.

Spices

I found several spices in which you can choose from to add your own personal touch

Hot sauce

Worcestershire sauce 

curry powder 

thyme

sage

fennel

smoky paprika — just be sure to use ground spices to preserve the soup’s creamy texture.

Toppings
Toasted walnuts 

crunchy bacon

 Barefoot Contessa tops hers with cashews, green onions, banana and coconut.

I opted for the green onions.

Enjoy!!