Butternut Squash Soup

Huh, where to start? Well, I like silky things. Do you like silky things?

Think expensive underwear, washed dogs...and this butternut squash soup.

Seriously. It's good. Plus, it's orange, and feels like Fall. Who could argue with that? You should make it.

Want something to really convince you? To push you over the edge and into the soup pot? It's the toasted pumpkin seeds. They are divine. Beautiful little light and crunchy pops of flavor floating on top. Perfect!

So here it is. The soup you'll be making tonight. And all through Fall. Oh, and probably all through the Winter too. Just warning you now.

Butternut Squash Soup
(from The America's Test Kitchen Healthy Family Cookbook)
3 pounds butternut squash (about 1 large or 2 small), peeled, seeded, and cut into 1/2-inch chunks (about 8 cups)
1 onion, halved and sliced 1/2 inch thick
4 tsp canola oil
s&p
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup dry white wine
5 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 1/2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
1 bay leaf
1/2 cup half-and-half
1 Tbsp minced fresh sage (this is my own addition!)

1. Adjust the oven racks to the upper-middle and lower-middle positions and heat the oven to 450*. Toss the squash and onion with 1 tablespoon of the oil and 1/2 teaspoon salt, then spread out over two rimmed baking sheets.

Roast,stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are lightly browned and softened, 30-40 minutes.

2. Heat the remaining 1 teaspoon oil in a large Dutch oven (I used a stock pot) over medium heat until shimmering. Add the roasted vegetables and cook, stirring often, until the squash begins to break down, 3-5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

3. Stir in the wine, scraping up any browned bits, and simmer until nearly evaporated, about 1 minute. Stir in the broth, sage and bay leaf and bring to a simmer. Cover, reduce the heat to medium-low, and cook until the broth is flavorful, about 5 minutes.

4. Discard the bay leaf. Puree the soup in a blender, in batches, until smooth (I used my immersion blender instead). Return the soup to a clean pot, stir in the half-and-half, and cook gently over medium-low heat until the soup is hot, about 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve.

I served it with toasted pumpkin seeds on top!

The only bad part? Peeling butternut squash sucked! Seriously, someone needs to come up with a better way than spending 30 minutes mangling a squash!

 Luckily it has great texture and flavor, so I guess I'll be using it again! Mainly because I couldn't live without this soup! Want a slight variation? You could use coconut milk instead of cream! Cuz it's good to keep your creamy options open.

We had a bit of cheesy veg pizza on the side. Cuz that's how we roll.  It filled out our meal nicely, and was pretty darn good dipped into this bowl of deliciousness!

Oh, and Izzie liked licking the bowl. And my spoon. And the pot. She has good taste.