Cold Weather Is Ideal for Butternut Squash Soup

As they say in Game of Thrones, "Winter is coming" and this past week, I could certainly feel it. Everyday was freezing and the wind chill did not help at all. This kind of cold weather is ideal soup weather and I don't mean broth-y soups, I mean thick and filling soups. (At least, that's my personal preference). 

I adore butternut squash soup and this chilly weather was my cue to make this scrumptious and filling treat. I love the sweetness of the squash and the velvety texture of the puréed soup. I love the feeling of "biting" into the soup, since it had a fair amount of volume, and I love the warmth I feel as I eat this soup. 

This soup is incredibly easy to make and can be made to last a few days. I knew that the coming week would be busy, so I made a big batch of soup to last me. This is great as a starter or even a main course. A sure fire winner! 

Ingredients:
- 1 butternut squash, peeled and diced
(I was running short on time, so I bought pre-cut butternut squash)
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 2 tbsp butter (I used smart balance)
- about 4 sage leaves, chopped
- 32 oz vegetable stock (I used chicken stock)
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon or to taste
- salt and pepper, to taste
- a dash of heavy cream, for serving
Directions:
1. Pre-heat your oven to 425 F. Prepare a baking sheet. 
2. Prepare your butternut squash by peeling and dicing. Then coat with olive oil. Also, season with salt and pepper. I added a bit of herbs de provence, which gave the soup a nice kick. 
3. Place the butternut squash onto a baking tray and allow squash to roast in oven for about 50 minutes or until very soft. 
4. In the meantime, prepare your stock. The original recipe I found said to use vegetable stock, but I had so much chicken stock that I wanted to use that first. 
5. Chop up your sage. 
6. Chop the onion into small pieces. 
7. Once your butternut squash is ready, remove from oven and set aside to cool. 
8. In a large pot, melt the butter. 
9. Add the onions and sauté until soft and translucent. 
10. Once onions are soft, add stock to the pan. 
11. Next, add seasonings (salt, pepper, cinnamon) and sage.
12. After a few minutes, add the butternut squash to the pan. Mix well. Clean off the foam, if you can. 
13. If you have an immersion blender, use it to puree the soup. If not, do what I did and carefully ladle the soup into a blender. 
14. Once the soup is all blitzed together, return to pot. 
Now your soup is ready to serve. When serving, I suggest adding a dash of heavy cream and a sage leaf (or two!) 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Shalom Japan: It's Me, on a Plate!

Image
Last month, my best friend (E) and I ventured out into the outskirts of Willamsburg to try a new restaurant called "Shalom Japan." We are always looking for new places to try and this establishment peaked our interest. Why? Because it is Jewish-Japanese fusion…basically, me on a plate! I've heard of all sorts of cuisine fusions, but this was certainly a first. I'll admit, Shalom Japan is not necessarily in the nicest of neighborhoods and it's not not a busy street. E and I were a bit nervous that we'd gone the wrong way, but eventually, we found the place. The restaurant is quite small, but homey. It's got wood tables/chairs and the building is brick. The atmosphere is very laid back and nice. So far, so good.  I was really intrigued by the menu. I was familiar with all of the ingredients, but was truly impressed by how they were incorporated into Jewish dishes. For example, the sake kasu challah.  I LOOOOOOVE challah. If I had no self contr
Read more

Gordon Ramsay's Cheesy Potato Dauphinoise

Image
I am fairly impressionable --- at least when it comes to cooking. When I see a recipe or a dish that intrigues me, I become obsessed and determine to give it a go. I have been obsessively watching Come Dine With Me  for at least one month and a dish that keeps popping up is: Potato Dauphionoise. I've eaten this side dish a couple times in my life, but not recently. It looked so delicious and easy to make, and I was determined to try my hand at this posh looking side. As per usual, I consulted the internet to look for recipes. As most of you know, I am obsessed with Gordon Ramsay. He is always my go to. If he doesn't have a recipe for something I want to make, I'm always feel a little lost, but luckily, that wasn't the case this time. I was delighted to have stumbled upon Gordon Ramsay's "Gratin Dauphonoise." He has yet to let me down and you know what, this dish was a winner! Something that I am adding to my repertoire.  This dish was incredibly e
Read more

Percy Jackson & the Olympians: Where Greek Mythology Comes to Life

Image
Last week, I finally made it to the movie theater to see Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters. I don’t care what anyone says, I LOVED IT. I loved the film, I love the Percy Jackson franchise, I love the Rick Riordan books, and I cannot wait for the next book ( The Titan’s Curse), to be made into a film! For those who may be unfamiliar with Percy Jackson, allow me to briefly explain. Percy Jackson is essentially Harry Potter , but the magic has been swapped for ancient Greek mythology. The protagonist of the series, Percy Jackson, is a demi-god and son of Poseidon --- god of the Seas. Percy lives at Camp Half Blood and is often accompanied by his best friends, Grover (a satyr) and Annabeth Chase (daughter of Athena). These three, along with a variety of other characters, go on quests and do everything in their power to stop the return of the evil Titan, Kronos, who is trying to resurrect himself and overthrow Olympus. (He’s got a bit of a grudge against his sons --- Zeu
Read more