Squash Soup.

Yes, I am still on a soup kick. We're well into a bit of a cold snap and really, nothing beats a hot bowl of soup on a raw day. This soup is one of those foods that will make you wonder how something so healthy can taste so rich. It's that good.

Also, the fact that I will cut a huge squash by myself proves I love this stuff. I hate cutting squash. However, that's the first step - get yourself a decent sized squash, peel and seed it, and cube it into small pieces. We used one from our garden's harvest. I love squash - it's so versatile and so delicious. You can steam it, boil it, bake it, roast it...and put it in soup!


You also need two carrots. I looked in my fridge - no carrots - but since we're gardeners who are not Very Serious, ours are still in the ground. So the kidlet and I geared up in our warm coats and went outside to dig a couple.


You need either one onion or two leeks. I've used both and haven't noticed a lick of difference in taste. Today I used onion, since I always have one on hand but don't normally have leeks just laying around.



Heat a tablespoon of oil in a large saucepan over medium heat, then add the onions. Saute until aromatic and soft, about six minutes. Then shake in some cinnamon and nutmeg and stir for a minute. Mmmmm.



Your work is mostly done. Grab the carrots:



Three or four cups of vegetable broth (or whatever kind of broth/stock you use; vegetable is highly featured in this household if I have no homemade stock on hand):

And put them in the pot with the onions. Toss your squash in, too. Make sure you have just enough liquid to almost cover it all.


Now go find something to do for 25 minutes while it simmers. In my case, I had to go drag my wayward dog home from Dave's friend's house. He takes off every few months, usually on a windy day. Thankfully everyone knows which dog belongs to whom along this road.

Okay, so your vegetables are tender, so you're almost done. Transfer the soup to your food processor or blender (I usually do this in two batches) and puree until smooth.


Put it back in the pot and add a splash of cream. This is completely optional, but I like it. Also add salt and pepper to taste.


Heat through and voila - you have yourself healthy, rich, smooth, hot squash soup!



This was the first squash soup I tried, and I've never bothered with a different recipe. It's so simple and delicious. Enjoy!