I am a self-admitted squash junkie. Once the leaves start to change I hit farmer’s markets and start hunting road-side stands for the best locally-grown butternut, acorn and spaghetti varieties of the season. This weekend, I scored two nice-sized butternuts from the Phoenixville Farmer’s Market for $3 total! In honor of the fall season, I am sharing my favorite (spicy) recipe for butternut squash soup:
2 lbs whole butternut squash, halved and seeded
4 large cloves of garlic, peeled & whole
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
¼ to ½ chipotle pepper (in adobo, canned)
4 tablespoons heavy cream
4 cups (2 cans) vegetable or chicken
½ teaspoon of nutmeg
½ teaspoon sea salt
½ teaspoon pepper
¼ cup fresh grated parmesan cheese
Directions: Coat the insides of the squash with olive oil and place 2 cloves of garlic and a few pats of butter in each hollow of each half of the squash. Place the squash on a shallow baking sheet and put into the oven on 400 degrees for 1 hour (note: you can also take a shortcut and use the microwave, but your entire house will smell amazing if you cook it in the oven).
When the squash is done roasting, and has cooled enough to handle, scoop out all of the good stuff (garlic cloves included) and put it into a food processor or blender with the chipotle pepper, broth and spices, and puree. After the mixture is totally smooth, begin adding the heavy cream. At this point, you can play around with the consistency of the soup (add more broth if you want it smoother, more cream if you want it creamier, etc). When you are done blending, pour into serving bowls, garnish with the parm and enjoy! Happy fall!
