Soup from Scratch - Attempt 1: Butternut Squash

This year, I am going to learn to cook if it kills me... I am a really impatient cook.  If I want it to cook something faster, you just turn up the heat right??  My goal is to cook one new item/recipe per week.

This past weekend, I was craving butternut squash soup.  Fortunately for me, my sister-in-law, Shelley, posted a great recipe on her amazing blog, The Experience of Eating.

Here's the recipe...

BUTTERNUT SQUASH SOUP
Makes: 6 servings
Prep and Cook Time: ~2 hrs 



Butternut Squash Soup

Ingredients:
1 small to medium  yellow or Vidalia onion, chopped
2 Tbsp. butter
3 medium butternut squash (or 2 large), halved and seeded
2 ½ c. low-sodium, fat free chicken broth or vegetable broth
salt and fresh ground black pepper, to taste
¼ tsp. cayenne pepper
4-8 oz. cream cheese
Sour cream, for garnish

Instructions:
*HINT: Shelley recommends boiling the squash for 10 minutes to make it easier to slice them.  I boiled them for 5 minutes and they sliced just fine.  

1. Apply olive oil to flat sides of squash with a silicone basting brush and dust with salt and pepper.  
2. Roast the squash face down on a baking sheet at 400˚F for 45 minutes.  
3. Scoop out the pulp and toss the skin. 
4. In a large saucepan or stockpot, sauté onion in butter until tender.  
5. Add squash, chicken broth, salt, pepper, and cayenne.  Bring to a boil, then simmer for 20 minutes. 
6. Turn off the heat.  Add the cream cheese, starting with 4 oz. and adding more if desired.  I added all 8 oz.
7. Puree with an immersion blender until smooth.  Reheat if necessary, but do not allow to boil. 
8. Add a scoop of sour cream when you’re ready to serve.

It came out great.  Glad the first recipe went well.  We will see what I try next weekend.  Stay tuned!