We are just now getting a taste of some real fall weather here in Houston, Texas. I thought it would be the perfect time to share this Butternut Squash Soup recipe to celebrate the amazing weather here!

Time to break out the boots and take advantage of all the wonderful fall veggies.

I’ll start out by saying, this soup is pretty simple to make. You’ll need either a blender or an immersion blender to process and you’re ready to go. With just a few simple and easy to find ingredients you can whip up the Butternut Squash Soup in no time! But it will taste like you spent hours in the kitchen. What I love about this soup is that the butternut squash isn’t overpowered by the typical potatoes, rice, cornstarch or heavy cream as thickeners. Yup, there is no cream in this recipe! Just the fresh flavor of butternut squash.

Tips for making this recipe:

1. Don’t use prepeeled, precut squash for this recipe. It will dry out quickly and become mushy.
2. Par-cooking the squash in the microwave for 15 minutes helps draw out some of the moisture which helps the fond develop while cooking, and gives it that roasted flavor without having to turn on the oven.
3. When processing the soup in a blender be sure to only fill it up two-thirds full; and process in batches. Alternatively, you can use an immersion blender and puree the soup right in the pot.
4. To create the sour cream swirl as in the photos, use a couple of teaspoons of water to thin out the sour cream. Then, place sour cream in a zip top bag and cut one of the corners off and drizzle on top of the soup.

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Adapted from Cook’s Illustrated

Butternut Squash Soup

Yield: 6 servings

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes

Butternut Squash Soup made with leek, vegetable broth and spices. Topped with a drizzle of sour cream.

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Ingredients

SPECIAL TOOLS

• Blender or Immersion Blender

SOUP

• 2 ½ pounds organic butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into 2-inch chunks (about 7 cups)
• 2 tablespoons organic unsalted butter
• 1 leek, white and light green parts only, quartered lengthwise, sliced thin and washed thoroughly
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 4 cups organic vegetable broth
• 1-2 cups water
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• Pinch of cayenne pepper
• Sour cream for garnish (optional)

Instructions

1. In a large microwaveable bowl, add the squash and cover with plastic wrap. Microwave squash for 14 to 18 minutes or until a knife inserted in the squash glides through easily, stirring halfway through cooking. Carefully place squash to a colander set in a large bowl and drain for 5 minutes, reserving the liquid.
2. In a Dutch oven, melt butter over medium-high heat. Add squash, leek and 1 teaspoon salt. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally until the squash has broken down and fond forms on the bottom of the pot, about 10 to 13 minutes.
3. Deglaze the pot by adding 2 cups of broth and scrape the fond to loosen and dissolve. Add the remaining 2 cups of broth and reserved squash liquid, plus 1 cup of water, thyme sprigs, bay leaf, and cayenne. Increase the heat to high and bring to a simmer until the leeks are tender, about 6 to 7 minutes.
4. Discard the thyme sprigs and bay leaf. Working in batches, process the soup in a blender until smooth, about 1 to 2 minutes. Return the soup to a clean pot and bring to a simmer, thinning out with up to 1 cup of water to your desired consistency. Add salt and pepper to taste and drizzle with sour cream if desired.

Notes

Soup can be refrigerated for up to 2 days.

Nutrition information are estimates and will vary.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 129Total Fat: 5gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 11mgSodium: 508mgCarbohydrates: 23gFiber: 6gSugar: 5gProtein: 2g

*Nutrition information is an estimate and will vary.*

Did you make this recipe?

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