Butternut Squash Soup
There are probably a million recipes for butternut squash soup around. The following is a fairly simple one, utilizing ingredients that I had on hand. You can probably use it as a spring board to create your own variant with very little effort. It is something lovely to make during the colder months of the year, even in places that don’t get that cold, like San Francisco.
Simple Butternut Squash Soup
serves 4-6
1 small butternut squash (about 1 lb), peeled and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1 medium carrot, finely diced
1 medium leek (or half a small onion to be more traditional), finely diced
1 stick celery, finely diced
1 tbsp freshly ground ginger (you could also use grated fresh ginger root)
5 cups vegetable broth, or chicken broth, or water, or white wine or a combination (I used 4 cups of vegetable brother and 1 cup of white wine)
salt, pepper to taste
1. Put the oil in a large sauce pan or dutch oven and heat over medium until shimmering. Add the carrot, leeks, and celery along with about 1 tsp of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes until the aromatics are translucent and are softening.
2. Add the squash, liquid and ginger. Bring to a simmer, then cover and reduce heat to low. Cook for approximately 45 minutes until the squash is tender
3. Use an immersion blender to puree the soup. You could use a potato masher or a standard blender as well, if that is what you have on hand. Finish it up with a whick to make sure it is smooth, then add salt and pepper to taste.
Some variations on a similar theme:
Wohali’s sweet potato butternut squash soup
Quinn’s Pumpkin Bisque