Friday, October 23, 2009

Because I am notoriously low maintenance

There are so many wonderful fall flavors to enjoy, it's hard to know where to begin. My mom has always been a soup-and-bread kind of person and everything she makes is great. The thing is, sometimes soups take a lot of preparation - chopping all those veggies, browning meat, etc.

Since I like to keep it simple, this Butternut Squash Soup has become a fast favorite around here. Easy to make, not too much chopping, and delicious. And there are only 5 ingredients, so it's not going to break the budget either. What more could you want on a crisp, fall day?

So here it is. Enjoy!

Butternut Squash Soup
(from The Joy of Cooking)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Place cut side down on an oiled baking sheet:
1 medium to large butternut squash, halved and seeded. Bake until squash can be pierced with a fork (about 1 hour).

(I actually just throw my squash in the oven like a potato and roast it. My knives aren't very sharp and it is much simpler to cut and seed the squash once it is soft.)

Let cool, then scoop the pulp from the squash skin and discard the skin. (And the seeds too, if you use the whole-roasted option.)

Melt in a soup pot over medium heat:
3 TBS butter

Add and cook, stirring until tender (5-10 minutes):
2 large leeks (white part only), chopped
4 tsp minced peeled fresh ginger

Stir in the squash along with:
4 cups chicken stock

Bring to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes. Puree until smooth.

Return to the pot and stir:
2 cups chicken stock
1 1/2 tsp salt

Heat through, and serve with cilantro and toasted squash seeds.

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