Tuesday, October 29, 2013

Butternut Squash Soup...just in time for fall!

My family recently moved from North Texas to Northern Colorado.  Having lived in Texas for the past 6 years, I forgot how much I LOVE Fall!  You see, in Texas, fall lasts for about 5 hours.  Here and there you might see a tree change color.  But if you blink, you’ll miss it and before you know it the trees have all shed their leaves.  And the temperature goes from mid-80s one day to 40s the next and you’re stuck with that until Spring.

But now that we are in Colorado, I’m remembering how wonderful Fall is! The cool, crisp air.  The clear blue skies.  And the COLORS!!! I partial to the bright red trees but my husband loves the yellow leaves.  And I swear, every time I see a pile of leaves I get the child-like desire to jump into it!

But you know what I love best about Fall? The food! Chili, pumpkin everything, and soup! One of our favorite fall recipes is for a delicious butternut squash soup.  My husband and I came across this recipe several years ago around Thanksgiving. We made it that year for the annual feast and our combined families looked at us like we were crazy (soup was not a dish that usually graced our Thanksgiving table). But ever since it has been a staple in our Fall meal rotation.

This soup combines butternut squash with ginger and coconut milk for a unique, creamy taste.


Start by roasting the squash.  Simply cut it lengthwise and cover with butter, salt and pepper. 


Stick it in a 375 degree oven for about an hour.  Your house will smell amazing! After an hour, take the squash out and allow it to cool a bit.


Once the squash is cooled, it should be peeled, cubed and slightly mashed. 


Now you can begin making the actual soup!  Start by melting the butter in a large stock pot. 


Once the butter is melted, add the chopped onion, green onion, and grated ginger.  Allow these to cook until the onion is transparent.


Next, add the coconut milk, vegetable stock and mashed up squash.  Bring the mixture to a boil and then allow to simmer for 20 minutes.

After 20 minutes, you’ll want to blend the soup to a rich, creamy texture.  We like to use a hand immersion blender (they are SO handy for making soups!) but if you don’t have one of these, you can do small batches in your blender.


Once the soup is blended and there are no chunks left, you are done!


This soup will make the perfect addition to any holiday meal, but it’s also ideal for those cool, fall and winter days.  I love keeping a container in the fridge at all times for an easy, warm you up lunch!  Enjoy!


Butternut Squash Soup


2.5 pounds butternut squash, roasted, cubed and slightly mashed

4 tbl butter
1 yellow onion, chopped
3 green onions, chopped
3 tbl fresh ginger, peeled and grated
1 can coconut milk (unsweetened)
6 cups vegetable stock

1.  Melt butter in a large stock pot

2. Add onions and ginger and cook until the yellow onions are transparent
3. Add squash, coconut milk and vegetable stock.  Bring to a boil and then reduce heat and allow to simmer for 20 minutes
4.  Blend either small amounts in a blender or with an immersion blender until smooth and free of any chunks
5. Salt and pepper to taste 







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