Butternut Squash Soup
This soup is perfect for a chilly autumn night, when you just want to wrap yourself in a warm blanket and watch television. It is as easy as cutting up the vegetables and waiting for them to cook. And the best part is, because the vegetables get puréed in the end, it doesn’t matter how big or small or funny shaped they are. But do be careful not to put too much in the blender at a time, unless you’re trying to redecorate your kitchen.
Recipe information
Yield
serves 4
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Trim and discard the ends of the celery and cut into 1/2-inch slices. Peel and coarsely chop the onion, carrot, and potatoes. Cut the squash in half across the neck, then put the halves cut side down on the cutting board and cut each half in half. Scoop out the seeds and strings with a spoon. Peel the squash with a vegetable peeler or cut it off with your knife, and cut into 3/4-inch chunks.
Step 2
Place the celery, onion, carrot, potatoes, squash, water, and bouillon cubes in a large pot and bring to a boil. Simmer over medium-low heat for 25 to 30 minutes, or until all the vegetables are tender.
Step 3
Ladle some of the vegetables and liquid into a blender (don’t fill the blender jar more than halfway) and cover first with the lid, then with a towel. Blending hot soup can cause the top to pop off, making a huge mess and maybe even burning you. Holding the top down tightly, purée the first batch until smooth. Pour the puréed soup into a large bowl and continue puréeing the remaining soup in batches. Pour the soup back into the saucepan and cook over low heat for 5 minutes, or until warm. Season with salt and pepper.
Step 4
Ladle into bowls and top with a spoonful of sour cream, if desired.
cooking 101
Step 5
“Season with salt and pepper” can be frightening words to a novice cook. You immediately start to wonder how much is enough and what is too much. Exact amounts for salt and pepper aren’t generally listed because the amount of seasoning needed varies based on the brands and types of ingredients used and on personal taste. The easy answer is to add a little, give it a chance to dissolve, and taste it. Each time you add a little more you should notice a slight difference. The first few times you will probably have to add seasonings over and over until it tastes right, but after a while you will get the hang of how much to start with and it will go much quicker.
