There’s barely a month left in autumn, and pumpkins remain as omnipresent as they were at the start of the season. I’m not talking about the ones we carve, but the ones we ingest — supermarkets are still stocking pumpkin ales; pastry shops are baking pumpkin donuts and cakes; and coffee shops continue to ravage a perfectly good beverage by adding “pumpkin spice” — it’s squash people! And it has no place in a latte! Love or hate the pumpkin craze that takes place every fall, there are some dishes that use pumpkin (squash) to great effect. This butternut squash soup is a favorite fall recipe of mine. It’s simple to cook and the ingredients are cheap. In fact, all of them can be purchased for a small price at the Nyack or Piermont Farmers Market. And hey, if you can master it, the final product may even be Instagram-worthy.
Photo Credit: Smitten Kitchen
Ingredients:
1 teaspoon olive oil
1/2 stick butter
1 large onion, finely chopped
4 large garlic cloves, chopped
3 14 1/2-ounce cans chicken broth
8 cups butternut squash (around 3lbs), cut into 1 inch cubes
1 teaspoons thyme (use fresh if possible)
1 teaspoons sage (fresh if possible)
1/2 teaspoon finely minced ginger (ground ginger can be used as well)
1/8 cup cream (optional)
Pancetta or bacon (optional)
Chives
Croutons
Directions:
Add olive oil and butter to pan, melt and add onions. After five minutes, add garlic. Cook until onions have begun to soften and caramelize, make sure garlic doesn’t burn. Add chicken broth, squash, herbs and ginger. Cover the pot and cook until squash has softened (around 20-25 minutes). Once squash is done begin pureeing in a blender or food processor. Do this in batches until the soup is smooth and silky. Then return to pot and add cream (if desired), season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve with croutons, chives and a crumbled pancetta (optional).
For Garnish:
Chop fresh chives and sprinkle over individuals bowls
If you have good bacon or pancetta (the Italian equivalent), fry, crumble and sprinkle over soup.
Croutons also work nicely with this soup and can be made by simply slicing bread into 1 inch pieces, coating with herbs and olive oil and baking at 350? for 8-10 minutes.
