I'm Making Soup All the Time Now!

It's cold again and what could be better than warm soup.  Plus this one is the prettiest color ever.

I made in on Sunday but am joining this on Monday, hosted by Jan's Sushi Bar.

This past Thanksgiving I made this butternut squash soup to bring for a big family gathering at a relative’s house.  I made the soup that day but it could easily be made in advance and frozen.  I transported it in its soup pot and about an hour before serving time I poured it into a crock pot and everyone helped themselves.  It is so creamy and good and healthy that I just made it again.  This butternut squash soup has no chicken stock so you can say it is vegan approved.  I am not a vegan but I just like how that sounds.

 Butternut Squash Soup

3 lbs butternut squash

2-3 small-med potatoes- diced

2 celery sticks-diced

3 carrots-diced

1/3 cup onion chopped

8-10 cups of water

Salt and pepper

Some rosemary and thyme sprigs

First you will cut the squash in half lengthwise and then I place it in a pan that has a little bit of water in the bottom of it.  I cook mine cut side up.  Scoop out the seeds and discard.  Cook it at 350 degrees for about 35-40 mins or until a fork pierces it easily. 

In the meantime you will be making the vegetable stock: put everything else listed above into a soup pot and cook low.  You want the veggies to be soft.  Turn off the heat when it is ready, before you add the squash.  Take out the herbs and it is ok if you have pieces or herbs in there, or if you used fine herbs to begin with.

When the squash is done you can let it cool until cool enough to touch.  I then use a large dinner spoon to scoop out the squash from the skin.  Here is what it looks like if you put it into a bowl. 

Now you need to get it all blended together.  Prior to receiving an immersion blender for Christmas (that I bought for myself on Amazon after doing some research as to what is the cheapest and the best which won’t break--I picked a Waring and it was $29.95)…..I used a blender.  So if you have a blender you will need put your veggies and stock into some other container and add some of it at a time to the blender along with some squash and when it’s blended, add it to your soup pot.  OR with an immersion blender, just blend it all right in the soup pot:

Once it is all blended, if you want to freeze it when it is cool enough you can put it into your favorite containers or bags for the freezer.  If you want to eat it asap, just heat it up and slurp it up.  I can never stop at one bowl.  I have two and then practically have a soup-induced happy-coma.