Butternut Squash Soup

Hooray for Fall! It is my favorite time of year even though it stayed in the 90s throughout September and has been in the 80s so far this month. Still, with Football on TV and Halloween around the corner I am determined to make the most of October. I am a little bit obsessed with pumpkins anyway, so everything about this month suits me. Butternut Squash ANYTHING is the perfect flavor for fall (second to pumpkin, that is) and a comforting soup is just what you need to compliment that crisp, cool, fall air. I mean of course, if you don't live in Texas. Like I do. But that crisp air is sneaking in here and there and this soup can help you pretend it's Fallish outside even if it's not.

I knew I wanted to make this soup although I've never made it before and it's been probably ten years since I've eaten it. But I knew what I wanted it to taste like so I scoured the internet for recipes and ingredients that inspired me and came up with this recipe. It came out exactly as I wanted it to, which is rare for me on a first time trial. It keeps really well and tastes great as leftovers. If the heat has got you down and not feeling this autumn season, this soup will be the cure for that! Serve with an Oktoberfest brew (I love Shiner's) or a Pumpkin Ale (Sam Adams' is my favorite) to really get in the fall spirit.

Butternut Squash Soup

1/2 tsp each:
  garlic powder
  cinnamon
  ginger
  nutmeg
  turmeric
  curry
1 TB olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
1/2 small apple, peeled and chopped (I used gala)
1 TB brown sugar
1 Butternut squash, diced and steamed
3 C chicken broth
1 C milk
Salt and Pepper to taste
2 slices bacon

To prepare your squash:

Peel the outside with a vegetable peeler and slice in half.

 Scoop out the seeds with an ice cream scoop.

Dice roughly in cubes and steam on stove for 10 minutes or until fork tender.

A lot of recipes online suggest roasting the squash in the oven as the easiest way to cook it. I disagree and think preparing it this way for steaming is the easiest and quickest. You may disagree, in which case go ahead and roast away. Once done, scoop out all the squash and set aside.

Directions:

1. Saute apple and onion in olive oil for 2 minutes.

2. Add spice mixture, stir well and continue to cook until it is all incorporated. Add brown sugar. Stir well and cook until onions are translucent.

This smells amazing!

3. Add the squash and chicken broth to your pot. Season with salt and pepper. (I started off in a saute pan and had to switch to a dutch oven. I should have used a big pot to begin with!) Cook on med/high for 10 minutes.

 

4. Transfer to a blender or food processor and puree in small batches until smooth. How smooth it is is totally up to you.

I love a messy food processor!

5. Transfer your blended soup back to the stove and heat to a simmer. Add the milk. Stir a lot.

Blending.

6. Chop up 2 strips of bacon (or more if you'd like) and cook.
7. Serve up with a bacon garnish!

Fall in a bowl!