Something Smooth To Warm You

If you remember, I love soup in the fall and winter.  Soup is an easy way to get a balanced, nutritious meal in your family in just one pot.  So I get really excited when I find a great new soup recipe.  A friend of mine recently brought me a big pot of this soup and my whole family loved it.  It is smooth, warm and comforting; just the thing for chilly nights.  The rather complex mix of flavors intrigued me and I couldn't wait to get my hands on the recipe.  So here it is just in time for another dip in the temperatures later this week when fall officially begins.

Butternut Squash Soup

2 Tbsp. butter
1 small onion, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 medium carrot, chopped
1 large potato, chopped
1 medium butternut squash
1 32 oz. container of chicken stock
salt and pepper to taste

Cut off stem, cut squash in half lengthwise and scrape out seeds.  Roast halves on a cookie sheet on foil, flesh side down at 400 for 45 minutes.  While squash cooks, peel and chop other vegetables.  Melt butter in a large pot and cook vegetables 5 minutes or until lightly browned.  Pour in enough chicken stock to cover vegetables.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer 30 minutes or until vegetables are tender.  Remove squash from oven, let cool a bit, then scoop out the flesh.  Transfer squash and vegetables to a blender and blend until smooth.  May need to do in several small batches.  Return to pot and mix in any remaining chicken broth to attain desired consistency.  Season with salt and pepper.  Note: use vegetable broth for vegetarians and skip the butter for vegans, substitute a nice vegetable oil.

I added a dollop of sour cream to our soup but I want to try a few shavings of parmesan cheese next time.  This soup would be a wonderful meal on Halloween, a great first course for a Thanksgiving dinner or as an appetizer served in small glasses.  If you have picky young eaters, tell them it is pumpkin soup like Harry Potter eats and make a jack o lantern face on the surface of the soup with cheese slices.  Or add a few sprigs of parsley for hair and a couple of olives for eyes and tell them it's a ghoul.  Hey, you have to make food fun and creative once in awhile!