Butternut Squash Soup

Butternut Squash Soup is one of my favorite soups for this time of year. I have never actually made it, but my mom and sisters make this recipe of Giada's and it's delicious, so I wanted to share it.

A lot of my family members cannot have dairy (which is one reason they make this recipe over others - it does not have any heavy cream in it!), so instead of using butter they only use olive oil. They do not put sage in their soup, so I put that as optional. They also do not make the crostini that is included in Giada's recipe so I left that out. My mom added a few more carrots the last time she made this and I think it tasted the best out of all the batches of hers that I've had!

This soup is delicious by itself, but I also love to dip grilled cheese in it if I'm having it for lunch. Yum!

Butternut Squash Soup

Recipe Courtesy Giada De Laurentiis

2 Tablespoons butter, at room temperature

2 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

1 medium carrot, peeled and chopped into ½-inch pieces

3 cloves garlic, minced

3½ pounds butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into ¾-inch pieces (about 7 to 8 cups)

6 cups low-sodium chicken stock

¼ cup chopped fresh sage leaves (optional)

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

In an 8-quart stockpot, add the butter and oil and melt together over medium-high heat. Add the onion and carrot and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook until aromatic, about 30 seconds. Add the squash and the chicken stock. Bring the mixture to a boil and add the sage. Continue to boil until the vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes. Turn off the heat. Using an immersion blender, blend the mixture until smooth and thick. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Keep the soup warm over low heat. To serve, ladle the soup into bowls.

Note: The cooked vegetable mixture can also be pureed (after cooling for about 5 minutes) by ladling, in batches, into a food processor or blender and blended until smooth.

Creamy Squash Soup

My sister Paula makes a delicious Butternut Squash Soup that I want to post even though I've never made it, because it's a great fall recipe. The first time I had this at her house many years ago, she served it with grilled cheese. The two together made a great combination (dipping the grilled cheese in the soup is really good!). This is a great soup to make for lunch or dinner. Give it a try this fall!

Creamy Squash Soup

Recipe Courtesy Paula Deen

2 pounds butternut squash, halved, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1-inch pieces

1½ cups diced onion

2 carrots, peeled and diced

3 (13¾-ounce) cans chicken broth

½ teaspoon salt

2 Tablespoons butter

½ cup light cream or heavy cream

Sour cream, for garnish

In a medium saucepan, combine squash, onion, carrots, broth and salt. Simmer, uncovered, until squash is very tender, about 40 minutes. Puree soup in a blender or food processor with the butter. Whisk cream into soup. Serve in wide, shallow bowls with a dollop of sour cream, if desired.

Note: Usually one big squash makes one recipe. Weigh the squash if you have to figure out how many recipes to make.

Photo from www.pauladeen.com