Butternut Squash Soup - Mom's

• Author: Cookie and Kate
 

• Prep Time: 10 mins
 

• Cook Time: 55 mins
 

• Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes

 Serves
• : 4 bowls or 6 cups

 
• Method: Roasted and blended
 

• 1 large butternut squash (about 3 pounds), halved vertically and seeded
• 1 Tablespoon olive oil, plus more for drizzling
• ½ cup chopped shallot (about 1 large shallot bulb)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 4 garlic cloves, pressed or minced
• 1 teaspoon maple syrup
• ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• Up to 4 cups (32 ounces) vegetable broth
• 1 to 2 Tablespoons butter, to taste (substitute olive oil for dairy free/vegan soup)

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the butternut squash on the pan and drizzle each half with just enough olive oil to lightly coat the squash on the inside (about 1 teaspoon each). Rub the oil over the inside of the squash and sprinkle it with salt and pepper.
2. Turn the squash face down and roast until it is tender and completely cooked through, about 45 to 50 minutes. Set the squash aside until it’s cool enough to handle, about 10 minutes. Then use a large spoon to scoop the butternut squash flesh into a bowl and discard the tough skin.
3. Meanwhile, in a medium skillet (or large soup pot, if you’ll be serving soup from that pot), warm 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat until shimmering. Add the chopped shallot and 1 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring often, until the shallot has softened and is starting to turn golden on the edges, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute, stirring frequently.
4. If you have a high performance blender like a Vitamix (see notes if you’re using an immersion blender instead), transfer the cooked shallot and garlic to your blender. Add the reserved butternut, maple syrup, nutmeg and a few twists of freshly ground black pepper. Pour in 3 cups vegetable broth, being careful not to fill the container past the maximum fill line (you can work in batches if necessary, and stir in any remaining broth later). Securely fasten the lid and select the soup preset, being careful to avoid hot steam escaping from the lid. The blender will stop running once the soup is super creamy and hot.
5. If you would like to thin out your soup a bit more, stir in the remaining cup of broth (I used the full 4 cups, but if you used a small squash, you might want to leave it as is). Add 1 to 2 tablespoons butter or olive oil, to taste, and blend well. Taste and stir in more salt and pepper, if necessary.
6. Serve immediately (I like to top each bowl with a little more black pepper). Let leftover soup cool completely before transferring it to a proper storage container and refrigerating it for up to 4 days (leftovers taste even better the next day!). Or, freeze this soup for up to 3 months.

NOTES

IF YOU ARE WORKING WITH AN IMMERSION BLENDER, add the reserved squash to the pot, then add the broth, maple syrup, nutmeg and a few twists of freshly ground black pepper. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, for 15 to 20 minutes so the flavors have a chance to meld. Carefully use your immersion blender to blend the soup completely, then add 1 to 2 Tablespoons butter or olive oil, to taste, and blend again. Taste and blend in more salt and pepper, if necessary.

Butternut Squash Soup

- 1 butternut squash (roasted)
- 2 Tbs butter
- 2 large carrots (chopped)
- 1 small / medium onion (chopped)
- 1 stalk celery (chopped)
- 2 Tbs roasted garlic
- 4 cups vegetable broth (or chicken broth)
- Salt to taste
- Pepper to taste
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg

1. Roast butternut squash
2. Roast garlic
3. Melt the butter in a large pot
4. Cook the onion, celery, and carrots until lightly browned
5. Pour in enough of the vegetable broth to cover vegetables
6. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover pot, and simmer 40 minutes, or until all vegetables are tender
7. Add in roasted squash, roasted garlic, and the rest of the vegetable broth
8. Blend with an immersion blender, or ladle into a regular blender
9. Add nutmeg, salt, and pepper to taste

Roasted Squash

Roasted Squash

- Butternut (or acorn) squash
- Olive oil
- Salt/pepper if desired

    a. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F
    b. Cut in half
    c. Scoop out seeds
    d. Drizzle cut surfaces with olive oil
    e. Place face-down on a baking sheet
    f. Bake 40 min or until tender and can be easily pierced with a fork

Acorn Squash Soup

Please note: the original recipe can be found HERE on the Food Network site, by Guy Fieri.

Ingredients

3 whole acorn squash, approximately 8 cups when cooked
6 shallots, 1 cup diced, 3 left whole and peeled
6 garlic cloves, peeled
3 tablespoons olive oil, plus 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon pepper, freshly cracked, plus more for seasoning
1 stick unsalted butter, in all
4 cups chicken stock, low-sodium (or veggie broth for vegetarian)
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1/4 teaspoon white pepper (a little less)
1 teaspoon sage, dry
1 teaspoon savory
1 cup heavy cream (if freezing for later, omit this and add after thawing)
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/3 cup grated Parmesan

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Cut the squash in half on the equator and remove the seeds with a spoon. Cut a flat spot on each end so the squash will sit flat. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and arrange the squash, cut side up. To 3 of the squash halves, add a peeled shallot and to the other 3 add 2 garlic cloves on each. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and season with 1 tablespoon each of the salt and freshly cracked pepper. Roast in the hot oven until very tender and starting to caramelize and collapse, approximately 1 hour. Remove from oven and when cool enough to handle, remove the squash from the skin. Reserve the roasted shallots and garlic with the squash. Can be done ahead.

In a large Dutch oven, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and 2 tablespoons of the butter over medium-high heat and when the butter is starting to foam, add the raw diced shallots and saute until they are starting to caramelize, about 5 to 6 minutes. Deglaze with 1/2 cup of the chicken stock and stir to remove any fond. Reduce the heat to medium-low and add in the reserved squash, roasted shallots and garlic and then the remaining chicken stock. Stir to combine, then puree with a stick blender. The mixture will be very thick. Add in the cayenne, white pepper and the herbs. Stir in the cream and Worcestershire sauce and heat slowly over medium-low heat. When the mixture comes to a slow simmer, mix again with the stick blender and stir in 1/4 cup of the Parmesan and turn heat to low. Serve with a fresh crack of black pepper, a nice drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil and a light sprinkle of remaining Parmesan. Ladle into soup bowls and serve.