Recipe Post: Butternut Squash Soup

Hubby and I got some butternut squash a few weeks ago at the public market. Butternut squash is one of those foods that stays good forever, so I took a while to do anything with it. Then Hubby's grandma gave us some more squash, so I figured it was time to do something with it.

And I am very glad I did!

Hubby nominated this as one of his favorite soups now, which is good because I only used one squash juuust in case I didn't like what I did with it so I have two left to make a bigger batch of this! I'm polishing off the last bowl today for lunch, so I may just hop to making another pot this weekend.

Let's get down to it:

Prep Time: 15-20 minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes+

Serves: About 5-8 bowls

Ingredients:

1 large butternut squash
1 small Spanish onion
1 large clove garlic/1 heaping tsp minced garlic
1 cup vegetable bouillon
2 cups vegetable broth
2 tbsp butter
1 1/2 - 2 cups soy milk
3/4 tsp sugar
2 pinches nutmeg
2 tbsp honey
3/4 tbsp cinammon

Directions:

1. Cut your butternut squash in half.

Scoop out the guts and discard.

Scrape the inside to get rid of the darker flesh as well.

2. Melt half of the butter.

Brush onto both halves of the squash, making sure not to forget the inside where the seeds were.

Roast in the oven at 390-400 degrees until soft.

...Or give up like me after about 30 minutes, take them out, peel them, and cube them. Either way works.

3. Next, your onion and garlic. I fully intended to use a white onion for this, but this little guy slipped into our basket at the public market.

He ended up being a Spanish onion. Go figure. I used it anyway!

Melt the other tablespoon of butter in a skillet and add onion and garlic.

Ignore the terrible burn on my pan, please. I didn't do it.

Cook until soft, about 5-7 minutes.

4. In your soup pot, pour in the bouillon and stock and gently boil. Add in the onion and garlic.

Also add in the soy milk and cubed squash.

Finally, your extras. First, the sugar. We got that cute little wooden spoon on our honeymoon, at a ceramics studio of all places.

Then, the rest of the spices/extras.

If you cooked your squash through, this only needs to cook a minute or two. If you were like me and cooked your squash mostly in the soup itself, keep this at a rolling boil, stirring frequently to avoid scalding the soy milk, until the squash is soft and mashable*, about 15-20 minutes. (*This is now a word.)

Blend the heck out of it until it's the consistency you'd like, then serve.

I served this one two ways. The first night, I added a raisin bagel twist, with a little bit of cinnamon right at the end.

For leftovers the next day, I did another bread bowl.

Or you can always just go with the soup alone!

Entirely up to you.

Any way you make it, enjoy!

Kitchen hacks for less time/money:

-Use cow's milk instead of soy milk

Kitchen Credits:

-I browsed several butternut squash recipes and used the ingredients from memory to make my own version. I most heavily referenced Ted Allen's butternut squash soup, with some notable influence from SimplyRecipes and Taste of Home.