Harvest Butternut Squash Soup

This recipe is originally from Thanksgiving Point in Utah. My sister passed it on to me and I've tweaked it a bit over the years. It has a slightly better texture when you peel, cube and roast the squash yourself, but I found frozen butternut squash at the grocery store one day and it was a game changer! It cut the prep time from about an hour to only 20 minutes. I've included the simplified recipe at the end. Maybe give both a try and see if the extra time commitment is worth it. For me, this used to be a luxury dish - something I only made once or twice a year. But now with the simplified version, I can make it whenever I'm craving its deliciousness. 

2 medium butternut squash, peeled and cubed (4-6+ c. squash)*

1/4 c. olive oil

pinch of salt and pepper

1 small diced onion

1 Tbsp. butter

3 c. chicken broth

1/8 tsp. nutmeg

1/8 tsp. ground cloves

1 tsp. curry powder

1/2 c. heavy whipping cream

     Toss cubed butternut squash with olive oil and salt and pepper. Place on a baking sheet and roast in oven at 350° for 15-20 minutes until browned. While squash is roasting, place onion and butter in large sauce pan and sweat until translucent. Add chicken stock to sauce pan and roasted squash. Boil until squash is tender. (Before pureeing the soup, you might remove some of the liquid so it’s not as runny. You can always pour some back in as needed.) Place in blender, or use an immersion blender, and puree until smooth. Return to pan and stir in spices and cream.

*If using more squash, alter other ingredients as needed.

 

Harvest Butternut Soup, Simplified

This version uses frozen butternut squash and comes together in about 20 minutes.

2 bags (10 oz. each) frozen butternut squash (steamable, organic)

2-3 c. chicken broth

A small handful of dried onion

1/8 tsp. nutmeg

1/8 tsp. ground cloves

1 tsp. curry powder

Salt and pepper to taste

½ c. heavy whipping cream

     Place chicken broth in large sauce pan and bring to boil. Add onion and squash. Boil until squash is tender. (Remove some of the broth, if needed, before pureeing.) Place in blender, or use an immersion blender, and puree until smooth. Return to pan and stir in spices and cream.