Cookin' & Cussin'

Winter Squash Soup

I love soup szn. My husband? Not so much. But this ain’t for him so let’s get back to what really matters : SOUP.

I love French Onion Soup, Mushroom Soup (I recently saw a combo of the two together – omg YUM) and I especially love squash soups – but mostly pumpkin & butternut squash.

I’m a sucker for peanut butter & curry in soups – but we’ve already been down that damn road & I didn’t want a repeat because – Ive already done it & BORING.

butter-nut-squash me up!

So I started thinking about all the versatile & delicious THINGS you can put in soup to really round it out – I’m proud to say this soup is both Vegan & Vegetarian (if you leave out the TBS of Heavy Cream to swirl around at the very end – I digress)

I’ll wax on poetic about the lifestyle change my husband & I have recently taken on – join me, won’t you? I know, thrilling. BUT SERIOUSLY. We feel so much better! We have learned so much! ((& losing a few LBS ain’t too shabby either!)) But this soup fits perfectly into our lifestyle change whilst sacrificing nothing!

SO BACK TO SOUP – I wanted something wholesome, easy to find, easy to whip together & it has to be delicious – DUH.

Low calorie is already a big easy option for soup – especially if YOU make it then you know exactly what is going in it! You feel me?

simple is delicious!

Wholesome ingredients, crave-worthy deliciousness that pairs beautifully with a protein-bread grilled cheese – because that is the ONLY option with soup. Don’t even try & think that you can come here to argue that because it is FACT. Warm & slightly crusty bread, melty cheese & the perfect dippable vehicle? SAY LESS.

LOOPING BACK AROUND TO SOUP – this one I’m especially proud of – fresh herbs, a drizzle of truffle oil, fresh fruit AND veggies…..and then we POWER PULVERIZE IT with an immersion blender – very important to truly round out this soup & make it feel gourmet, because it is.

I personally like my soup a little rustic. Silky & smooth, but seeing dots of fresh herbs never hurt nobody. And the fact that I was able to achieve this with the absence of cream of any kind? – get OUTTA here! Pure delicious insanity that I can’t wait to share with you!

I also personally believe & will endorse that this soup would be JUST AS delicious with fresh roasted pumpkin or acorn squash. *shrug* any delicate squash flavor would be sublime – but I decided to go with butternut. That rich color, the soft but vibrant taste – I really can’t stop thinking about it!

Adding a few unassuming spices really kicked this soup up some MAJOR notches as well and gave a nod to the Christmas season – CINNAMON. I’m not sure how many people would think to put Cinnamon in a savory soup, but here ya go! And it was divine. I mean, the swirl of smoky, sweetness really played amazingly with the earthy flavors of sage & butternut squash – EEK! You just have to try it – I really feel like I can’t say anymore – Let’s Get To It!

Ingredients

• 1 medium butternut squash, roasted

• 1 small fennel, diced

• 1 shallot, diced

• 1 small sweet onion, diced

• 1 small Asian pear, diced

• 1 TBS fresh chopped Thyme & Sage

• 1 Each TSP Garlic Powder, Cumin & Coriander

• ½ TSP Cinnamon – to be added LAST

• 24 - 32 Oz Vegetable Stock

• SMALL DRIZZLE of Black Truffle Oil

• 2 TBS Olive Oil

• S+P to taste

• 1 TSP Heavy Cream (for garnish, if you want!)

Instructions, 1

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Split your butternut squash down the middle, scoop out the seeds & oil well with olive oil.

Sprinkle with S & P and place face-down on a tin-foil lined cookie sheet.

Bake for 35-40 minutes – the butternut squash should be FULLY soft & roasted – easily scooped out with a spoon!

Slice & Dice the fennel, shallot, sweet onion & asian pear.

In a large, heavy-bottomed pot, heat both the Black Truffle Oil & Olive Oil over medium heat.

Add in ALLLLLLLL the veggies & asian pear – sautee thoroughly until the veggies are all soft and can be easily cut with a fork or spoon.

Season with ALLLLL the spices : S+P, Garlic Powder, Cumin & Coriander and stir well to combine.

Add in 1 Cup of Vegetable Stock, allow the veggies to cook down & soften even more.

This entire process will take 15-20 minutes.

Add another 1 Cup of Vegetable Stock to fully submerge the veggies – bring to a gentle simmer.

Add in the fresh roasted Butternut Squash and stir to incorporate.

Your mixture will look VERY lumpy and thick – that’s ok!

Add in another 1 Cup of Vegetable Stock & once again allow to come to a gentle simmer and help break down the butternut squash.

Instructions, 2

Next step is to turn down the heat & get your immersion blender stick ready! If you don’t have an immersion blender, you can CAREFULLY empty all the contents of your soup into a blender & blend well until completely smooth.

You may also choose to strain your soup through a metal strainer but I completely skipped that step & was very happy with the outcome.

Going the immersion blender route – this can be dangerous since you’re dealing with scalding-hot-ass-soup so PLEASE use the LOW setting until you are comfortable working with the immersion blender.

To ease the blending process as well AND to achieve the thickness of soup you prefer, add in ½ cup of Vegetable Stock at a time.

Once your soup has been beautifully blended, give it a taste!

Everything is cooked so now its just time to heat it back thru and add in any more Vegetable Stock you wish to thin out the soup if needed.

Once you like the taste of your soup, the texture of your soup & it has been heated thoroughly again – now is the time for the PIECE DE RESISTANCE.

CINNAMON! I’m telling you – the swirl of this cinnamon will make this soup come ALIVE! The different flavors of the fennel & onions along with the sweetness of the Asian Pear and the earthiness of the fresh herbs…..WOO WEE I tell ya’ll what. Hot Damn that did it!

I kept tasting my soup & was very happy with it, but I wanted an unexpected element that wasn’t too much of anything – same way I felt about the Black Truffle Oil – that can be tricky!

You never want a dish to be overpowering because then its just TOO MUCH of whatever and can really turn off the other flavors or the entirety of the dish – trust me when I say this Cinnamon swirl was IT.

Fill your bowls with this soup & if you want a creamier taste wihtout adding to to the entire soup base, swirl in 1 TSP of Heavy Cream for an extra decadent bite & presentation!

Serve immediately & watch everyone enjoy the hell out of this soup that’s perfect to cuddle up to along side a GRILLED CHEESE!

Serve Anytime!

You decide!

I doubt Santa will put anyone on the Naughty List for choosing when to serve this soup – best part is, you can easily double or triple the recipe, it can be made in advance AND it heats up SUPER easily!

I could see this soup being a delicious course for a fancy Christmas dinner that won’t ruin any future courses, or a quick lunch during this season to warm you up, hit the spot but not fill you up!

Butternut Squash is such a winter staple and has SO many delicious uses, but this way is one of my absolute favorites. Now is also the time that you probably have some herbs dying a slow death in your vegetable drawer, so put them to good use!

From me and mine, to you & yours – Merry Christmas & Happy Soup Szn!