last week i started in on soup. the weather is distinctly fall and even feeling wintry in some parts of the country. it is definitely soup weather. we ran out of my noni’s minestrone on saturday afternoon this weekend at my restaurant (the amount we made would have usually lasted through monday! ). since our minestrone takes all day to make i needed to come up with a quick soup to fill in for the cold and rainy saturday crowd. i deferred to my favorite butternut squash soup. i have been on a bit of a band wagon for the winter squashes. it is squash season and i think they are versatile and delicious so bear with me. butternut squash soup can be so creamy and delicious with no cream added. i start by putting 1-3 whole squashes in the oven and roasting at 400 with skins on until they are soft enough to easily cut with a sharp knife (about 5-10 minutes). from there i cut them in half lengthwise and remove the seeds. do not throw these little crunchy nuggets of goodness away! you can clean the seeds sprinkle with salt and roast them to make a great topping for the soup. next decide which direction flavor-wise you want to go. indian? sprinkle the squash liberally with your favorite curry powder before you roast. if you want an herb flavor use fresh thyme or sage and garlic cloves. now that you have added your favorite herbs and spices roast the cleaned out squash until they are very tender and starting to get a bit golden. when they reach this point remove from the oven scoop the flesh out of the skins and place it in a blender. you can add chicken or vegetable stock and blend until smooth. i also like to sauté onion or shallot in a bit of olive oil until soft and add it to the squash in the blender. from here you can top with the toasted seeds and a bit of plain yogurt (add lemon zest a pinch of salt and a squeeze of juice to create a crème fraiche-like topping for the soup). serve this warm and satisfying soup with a side salad and toasted multigrain bread for a comforting and healthy dinner.
how you make squash soup?