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4.09.2011

A Solid Soup

Time for an easy recipe!  As you know, I love leftovers.  One of the best “eat all week” dishes we make is soup.  My favorite is butternut squash.  It’s a nice, warm, creamy, hearty dish that can be a meal or side dish or snack.  Versatile.  You will see that it is extremely easy to make (just a few ingredients), and it is healthy! Here we go…

What you need:
-1 butternut squash
-1 peeled cubed pink lady apple (optional)
-1 medium onion (white or yellow) diced
-Chicken stock (water or veggie stock is fine too)
-Some cinnamon
-Some nutmeg
-Pinch of salt and pepper
-Pinch of cayenne pepper
-Bacon! (optional, but delicious…as always) – if you want to use it, dice it up and cook it on medium-low until crisp.  Remove from pot  and set aside leaving grease in pot.
-Olive oil, coconut oil or fat rendered from bacon
-A soup pot
-A blender

-First, peel the squash until the surface is a nice, bright orange (peel away the white).  Dice the squash into approx. 1 inch cubes.  Start by cutting in half the long way, scoop out the seeds and pulp, and then cube it up.

-Sweat the chopped onion in either olive oil, coconut oil (adds a nice little flavor), or bacon fat on medium low until translucent and limp.  Do not let them brown.


Pictured in coconut oil, but I prefer bacon fat :)
-Add the cubed squash, apple, and enough chicken stock to almost cover the cubes (less stock, thicker soup).  Boil, then simmer the squash until it is fork tender.
I like mine a bit thicker...
-Pour the pot into a blender and CAREFULLY puree it until smooth (in batches if necessary). 

-Add the puree back into the pot.  Add about a teaspoon of cinnamon and nutmeg, the salt, pepper, and cayenne.  You can adjust the seasonings to taste.
-Simmer for about 15-20 minutes.  Serve and top with bacon bits (if you wanna).
Served alongside a random seared shrimp/onion/chard saute
Save the rest and eat it all week as a side dish or lunch or whenever else you feel like it!  Enjoy!

1 comment:

Michelle Life Buy The Beach said...

This sounds yummy!!!! I'm gonna try it this week!