Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

It is fall. Even though it may not FEEL like fall where I am, I still crave warm comfort foods. What is more comforting than soup? Here is my recipe for Roasted Butternut Squash Soup:

Ingredients:

I only had baby carrots in the fridge. Technically I stated "1 carrot" in the ingredient list, but this is close enough.

First peel and cube the squash. This is the hardest part,  I promise. In case you need help with how to tackle this step. There is a helpful tutorial here. I appreciate her attention to safe knife practices. 

Such a pretty orange color....

Now drizzle some EVOO and season with salt and pepper

Roast in the oven for about 25-30 minutes until tender

It should look like this when it's done:

YUM!

 Your kitchen should smell really good right now.

Melt the butter in your dutch oven, add the 1 Tbsp olive oil

Add your garlic and let it brown (only about 15-30 seconds) and stir! And now your kitchen smells even better!

Now add your raw veggies and let them cook for a few minutes

Add the broth, squash, and spices

(Hold off on more salt until the end, remember you salted the squash)

Let these simmer for about 20-30 minutes

Find and remove your bay leaf... then blend with immersion blender. Soup is VERY hot! Remember the popcorn hickey?  You have been warned.

Fall comfort food.

Now all you need is a grilled cheese sandwich and the next Flavia de Luce book. 

Enjoy!

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

1 Butternut squash, peeled and cubed

1 shallot (a small onion is ok too... but I like flavor of shallots)

2 cloves garlic

1 medium carrot

1 celery stalk

4 cups chicken broth (1 box)

2 Tablespoons butter

1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil + more for roasting squash

1/2 teaspoon thyme

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1 bay leaf

cream (optional)

salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400F. Toss cubed squash with salt and pepper and a drizzle of olive oil. Spread on baking sheet in a single layer and roast in oven until tender, about 30 minutes, turning once with a spatula. You may have to do this in more than one pan depending on how large your squash is. Instead of doing multiple batches (that would take an hour!), put them on 2 different racks in your oven. When you turn the squash, just switch the pans so that it can evenly cook. While the squash is cooking, melt the butter and 1 Tbsp of olive oil in a dutch oven on medium heat. Toss in the garlic and allow to cook for about 15 seconds (until it gets golden brown). Toss in your raw veggies and allow them to cook for a few minutes to get tender. Then add the squash, broth, and spices. I would hold off on adding more salt at this point because the squash has been salted. Simmer on low for about 20-30 minutes. This is not an exact science. You just want your veggies to be tender and the flavors to blend together. When the veggies are tender, CAREFULLY fish out the bay leaf, then CAREFULLY blend with immersion blender until smooth. The soup is HOT! For some extra creaminess, you can add a splash of cream, but try it without first....it really doesn't need it. Feel free to add more salt now. Enjoy!

-E-