Thursday, November 3, 2011

Butternut Squash Soup




The other morning, while I was riding my bike in the basement (its getting too cold to ride outside), I turned on Rachel Ray and she was at the end of her show making this beautiful squash soup that I had to try. Here it is. I made it pretty much to the recipe. Enjoy! Perfect for a chilly fall day!


Ingredients:

1 butternut squash, peeled and sliced

salt and pepper

3 T. butter (can use earth balance if you don't eat dairy)

2 carrots, peeled and thinly sliced

1 rib celery, finely chopped

1 onion, chopped

3-4 cloves garlic, chopped

1 T. each lemon and orange zest

2 pinches saffron threads

1 T. honey

1 quart water or chicken stock


toasted chopped pistachio nuts, for garnish

toasted pumpkin seeds


Preparation:

1. Heat oven to 400 degrees

2. Dress squash with olive oil (I used a tiny bit) to coat lightly and season with salt, pepper, and a little freshly grated nutmeg. Toast to golden edges and very tender, about 25 minutes.

3. In a soup pot, melt butter over medium heat. Add carrots, celery, onions, garlic, citrus zest, salt and pepper. Cook to soften vegetables...about 10 minutes. Add saffron, stock, and a drizzle of honey. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer to soften vegetables, 20 minutes.

4. Puree with an immersion blender (I used my vitamix). Add roasted squash and blend to combine, thinning with extra water to the consistency you want.


Top with toasted pistachios and pumpkin seeds!

2 comments:

  1. Thank you. It looks lovely. Especially on a cold rainy day.

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  2. I make a roasted shallot and butternut squash soup which is essentially shallots (I just use plain onions) butternut, ginger, chicken stock (or water)and probably salt and pepper, but that's it. It is fabulous - especially if you are like me and you love sneaking in a little extra ginger.

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