Yes, another Fall recipe for butternut squash soup!
Yield: roughly 4 qt (about 16 servings)
Time: 15-20 minutes prep (cutting veg and sautéing at the beginning and blending at the end); about 45 minutes cook time
Get a large pot on medium heat, coat the bottom with olive oil and add:
- 1 onion, sliced
- 3 cloves of garlic, smashed and sliced
- 1 carrot, diced
- 2 stalks of celery, diced
- 1 red pepper, seeded and sliced (or a small handful of little sweet peppers form the farmers market)
- 2 butternut squashes, peeled and diced (seeds, guts, and all!)
- Season with salt and freshly cracked black pepper
Clear a hole in the center on the pot, pour in some olive oil, then add:
- 1 pinch red pepper flakes
- 1/2 tsp coriander seeds
- 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
- 1/2 tsp caraway seeds
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- 1 knuckle worth of freshly grated turmeric, or 1 tsp dried
Mix it all together and sauté until the onions are wilted and translucent, about 10-15 minutes.
Add 3 quarts chicken stock, bone brother, water, or a combination of them all depending on what you have and bring to a simmer. Cover, and simmer until all the veg is tender and soft.
Blend in batches with:
- 2-3 Tbs butter per full blender pitcher
- juice of 1/2 a lemon
Taste and add more salt as needed. You know it’s ready when the whole kitchen smells deliciously savory and comforting and you keep going back for just one more bite when you’re tasting the soup.
Because this is a smooth soup, I like to pour it into big mugs and just drink it- often with a dollop of creamy plain greek yogurt mixed in and maybe with a squishy hunk of focaccia, a buttered whole wheat sourdough toast, or a cheesy quesadilla on the side.
Because this is such a large batch, it’s ideal for freezing. I’ll portion it into pint or quart deli containers and seal them with a kiss to a future hungry me (As much as I’m a fan of mason jars, they have a tendency to crack in the freezer, so I stick with the villainous plastic).
* This can be easily made vegetarian or vegan by subbing the butter with vegan butter or half the quantity of coconut oil as butter and using vegetable stock in place of chicken or bone.
Enjoy and stay warm out there!
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