Butternut Squash Soup
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https://instructions.wiki/recipes/butternut-squash-soup
Makes 6 · 20 min prep · 35 min cooking
Ingredients
- 3 lb (1.4 kg) butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1 inch cubes
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter or olive oil
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, sliced
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, plus more to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 4 cups (950 ml) chicken or vegetable stock
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) heavy cream, optional
Sweat the onion
Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and 1/2 teaspoon of the salt. Cook, stirring now and then, for 6 to 8 minutes, until the onion is translucent and soft with no browning.
Add the garlic and squash
Stir in the garlic and cook for 1 minute, until fragrant. Add the squash cubes, the remaining salt, and the pepper. Stir to coat and cook for 2 minutes.
Simmer until tender
Pour in the stock. It should just cover the squash. Add a little water if it does not. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer, partly covered, for 20 to 25 minutes. The squash is ready when a paring knife slides into a cube with no resistance and the piece falls off the blade.
Blend the soup
Take the pot off the heat. An immersion blender is safest here: submerge the head fully before switching it on and work it around the pot until no lumps remain. To use a countertop blender, fill the jar no more than half full, remove the center cap from the lid, and cover the opening with a folded towel. Hot liquid releases steam that expands fast inside a sealed jar and forces the lid off, throwing scalding soup. Blend in batches and return each one to the pot.
Season and finish
Return the pot to low heat. Stir in the cream if using and warm through without boiling. Taste and add salt until the squash flavor comes forward. Thin with stock or water to the consistency preferred.
Storage. The soup keeps for 4 days refrigerated and freezes well for 3 months. Freeze it before adding the cream, and stir the cream in when reheating.