Butternut Squash Soup
Serves 6 to 8.
By Dennis W. Viau; modified from a recipe in a magazine.
I roast butternut squash often in winter, usually with other dense vegetables, and serve it as a side dish with roast meat. However, it also makes a great soup. I first saw this recipe as Pumpkin Soup. I don’t care for pumpkin, unless in a pie; so I substituted butternut squash, made a few corrections, and the result was fantastic. This turned out to be a fairly easy soup to make.
Ingredients:
3 pounds (1.3kg) butternut squash; peeled, seeded, and cut into 1-inch (2.5cm) pieces
5 tablespoons olive oil; divided
Salt and pepper to taste
1 medium onion (10 ounces/285g); chopped
1 cup canned artichoke hearts; chopped
6 cups (1.4 liter) chicken stock, preferably homemade
1 cup heavy cream (optional)
For garnish:
Croutons, crackers, sour cream, chopped chives, whatever you might like
Directions:
Heat oven to 400°F (200°C). Place chopped squash in a roasting pan and drizzle about 3 tablespoons olive oil over the top. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Turn the pieces to evenly coat. Bake until tender when pierced with a fork, 40 to 45 minutes.
While the squash is baking, place the chopped onion in a deep saucepan with the remaining oil and sauté for 10 minutes over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium, add the chopped artichoke hearts, and continue sautéing until the onions are a golden color, stirring often and reducing the heat as the onions start to brown. Remove from the heat and set aside.
When the roasted squash is done, add it to the cooked onions with the chicken stock. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from the heat.
Using an immersion blender, purée the soup until smooth, or purée, in batches, using a blender or food processor. Strain through a sieve, pushing through with a ladle. Fibrous solids might collect in the bottom of the sieve. These could be from the artichoke hearts and can be discarded. Adjust for salt.
For a Cream of Butternut Squash Soup add the optional heavy cream, blend, and heat to serving temperature.
Serve hot, garnished as desired.
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