07 November 2009

Butternut Squash Soup

Can you tell the theme for this weekend is butternut squash?  It's funny because I'm so excited to eat all these squashy delights yet as a kid my mother couldn't force it down my throat.  I hated the taste, the texture, everything about it!  But I guess I should say thanks, mom, I know you tried and finally I've learned to love it.

Since I was peeling and roasting squash for my risotto I decided to take on this Food Network soup as well and I'm so glad I did.  It's delicious and will make the perfect pair with my Italian Paninis (next recipe, coming soon!) for lunch tomorrow.  A few notes on the mods I made to this recipe.  It calls for two pounds of squash, pretty sure I used more like three and a half, the squash was huge.  Didn't change anything else though and the soup is perfect!!




Ingredients:

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 onion, thinly sliced
4 cloves garlic, smashed
2 fresh sage leaves
2 teaspoons kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 medium canned plum tomatoes
1 medium butternut squash (about 2 pounds), peeled, halved, seeded, and diced
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth or water
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan, optional

Heat the olive oil in a soup pot over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, sage, 1 teaspoon of the salt and season with pepper, to taste. Cook, covered, stirring occasionally, until soft and fragrant, about 15 minutes. Raise heat to medium-high, add the tomatoes, and cook, stirring with a wooden spoon, until the tomatoes break up and the onions brown slightly, about 7 minutes. Add the squash and the remaining teaspoon salt, and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the squash is tender, about 12 minutes. Add the broth, bring to a simmer, and cook, uncovered, until the vegetables tender, about 20 minutes. Set aside to cool slightly.
Working in batches, puree the soup in a blender, or with an immersion blender. Return the soup to the pot and reheat over medium heat. Stir in the vinegar. Serve the soup in warm bowls with a touch of parmesan cheese if desired or garnish with sage leaves.

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