Butternut Squash Soup

I have fallen in love with yet another new recipe!  Butternut squash soup!!!!  It is another recipe that I was leery to make, thinking it way too hard and complicated and time consuming.... but it isn't.... it is actually quite simple to make and as quick as making a pot of potato soup!  I enjoyed it sooo much, I just went to the store and bought more butternut squash so I can make it again soon!

I had had this soup for the first time last winter at a restaurant in Louisville.  I was afraid I would not like it, but loved it so much, I literally slurped the bowl clean.  When I asked the waiter what the little zing in the back of my throat was from, she told me it was a dash of cayenne pepper the chef adds to the soup.  So...... I too added a dash.... or two..... of cayenne pepper and it was absolutely amazing.  A dash is literally all it takes to add the zing and not be too over powering.

I looked at several different recipes for this soup, took parts from each recipe I thought would be good and put together my own blended recipe.  Here is how I did it..... I hope you give it a try.... it really is sooooo dagum good!  My measurements are all approximate.... you can adjust ingredients as you want/need

Soup
2 - butternut squash, peeled, seeded and chopped into 1" dice
4 cups of chicken broth (approximately).... vegetarians can substitute with vegetable broth
mirepoix (1 celery stalk, 1 carrot, 1 small onion, small dice or thinly sliced)
2 Tbsp butter
1 cup cream (I used heavy cream, but milk will do too)
salt/pepper
red pepper flakes (a pinch)
1 tsp cayenne pepper

Garnish
1 granny smith apple (peeled, seeded and fine diced)
1 Tbsp brown sugar
2 Tbsp butter
1/4 cup sour cream
2 Tbsp cream or milk

Saute the mirepoix in the 2 Tbsp of butter until just tender, but not browned.  Add the squash, salt/pepper, red pepper flakes and broth, simmer until the squash is cooked and tender (like you would for mashed potatoes).  Remove the squash chunks with a strainer, put the squash in a blender and puree until smooth.  Add the cooking broth to the pureed squash in the blender and puree again.  Put the mixture back into the saucepan and add the cayenne pepper and cream and bring the soup back to a simmer and let it simmer for about 5-10 minutes longer.

To garnish the soup (which really adds the WOW factor).... Place the diced apple in a small saute pan with the brown sugar and butter and saute until the apple is tender.... takes just a couple of minutes.  Stir the sour cream and cream together until the consistency is soupy..... so you can swirl or drizzle a small amount of the sour cream mixture on top of each soup bowl you are serving, then place about a tsp or so of the apple mixture over the swirled/drizzled sour cream mixture.  Serve and eat.

If you happen not to like the extra zing of the cayenne pepper and/or red pepper flakes, just omit them from the recipe, the soup will still be really yummy.  It took me about 10 minutes tops to get the soup started, another 15-20 minutes of cooking time before I pureed the soup and another 5-10 minutes to simmer the pureed soup with the cream, which is the same amount of time and effort it takes to make a good pot of potato soup.  This soup is soooo good, you don't even need crackers, but if you have a nice hearty bread, that would go well with this soup.  I could eat this soup for an appetizer, main meal or even dessert!!!!  When I made and served it the other night.... all you could hear were spoons clicking in the bowl, and yumming .... ummmming..... wowing.....  and this is so good!...  no one paused for a second until their bowl was empty.... just dip, slurp, and ummmm!  LOL  It was quite musical!

Bon Appetite!!!!