What is it about the cold rainy weather that puts me in the mood for pecans and butternut squash? Is it conditioning - a habit learned over the years? Or is there really something bone-warming about these winter foods? All I know is that I had a craving for some butternut squash soup last night.
Roasted Butternut Squash Soup
I still have a pot of sage growing happily on my deck, through the cold, sleet and frost. If you have some handy, go ahead and use it, but don't worry if you don't have any. The soup is amazing even without it. I also must confess that I buy the squash peeled and cubed (my local Costco carries it). Butternut squash is not one of my favorite foods to prepare, so it's one of the few things I allow myself to buy ready-prepped.
1 butternut squash, peeled and cubed
2 yellow onions, coarsely chopped (reserve the peel for the stock)
1 apple, preferably Granny Smith, coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons canola or vegetable oil
2 or 3 carrots
a few stalks of celery
a sweet potato
4 cups water
3 bay leaves
1 teaspoon salt
black pepper to taste
Preheat the oven to 425*. Spread the squash, chopped onions, and apple on a large baking sheet. Be sure they are not overlapping so they don't steam. Toss with the oil. Roast the vegetables for about 1/2 hour, stirring occasionally, till beginning to brown.
While the vegetables roast, rinse the carrots, celery and sweet potato. Put them in a stock pot along with the reserved onion peels and cover with water. Add bay leaves, salt, and black pepper. Bring to a boil and simmer while the vegetables roast.
Strain the stock and discard the cooked vegetables. Pour the stock back into the stock pot, and add the roasted vegetables. (Be sure to scrape the pan really clean so you get all the flavorful glazed bits that are stuck to the bottom of the pan.) Bring the soup to a boil and then lower the heat and simmer on low for about 1/2 hour. Puree in a food processor or with an immersion blender.
Serve immediately or refrigerate and serve later. (This soup also freezes really well.)
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Tis the season for squash! The soup sounds really tasty, and I like the addition of the apple. Must give it nice flavor.
ReplyDeleteBrown butter is just unsalted butter that is heated to brown the milk solids. It gives amazing flavor to dishes. Here's a quick explanation about how to do it: http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-brown-butter.htm
I made this recently and I thought it was fantastic. I use margarine instead of butter because I want most of my food to be pareve.
ReplyDeleteMy recipe was different but it also had apple which sold me, on it. I had a few slices of mango left over so I threw them in.
Wow, mango... That sounds so interesting. Thanks, Sweet and Savory. I actually try to avoid margarine when I can (except in crisps - I haven't found a good replacement yet) and this recipe really is perfect with oil.
ReplyDeleteI love butternut squash soup, especially with sweet and spicy pecans from a Rachael Ray recipe I found once. Basically saute pecans in margarine or butter until toasted, then stir in chili powder and brown sugar. Totally awesome!
ReplyDeleteRachel - I have tried candied pecans in just about everything else (salads of every kind, ice cream, cereal, fruit crisps), but never in soup. That sounds MARVELOUS. Thanks for the suggestion.
ReplyDeletewhat fun -- apples and squash - perfect for fall!
ReplyDelete