Butter Me Up [Butternut Squash Soup]

This recipe has been part of my repertoire for a few years, and I love making it every fall. I forget where the original recipe inspiration came from, but by now, I've tweaked it just to my liking and have it memorized...granted it's so easy and requires very few ingredients. I used to add 1/2 cup of half and half, which certainly makes it delicious, but is totally unnecessary. It's honestly just as good without.

Buying pre-cut squash will save some time, but I find it goes bad rather quickly, so unless you're planning on cooking with it that day (or the next) I'd opt for fresh (local!) butternut squash. You can also skip the roasting and just cook it a little longer in the stock. This recipe is very forgiving, especially since you puree it all together at the end. Don't worry about presentation with this one, because at the end, you're guaranteed to be left with a beautiful bowl of soup.

Simple, filling, comforting and 100% fall-worthy. And for a little Halloween flair, garnish with plastic spiders. Bon appétit.

you'll need...

1 medium butternut squash

1/2 of an medium-sized onion

1 large apple

1 box of vegetable broth or 4 cups of stock

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1 tablespoon of olive oil

salt & pepper

...and an immersion blender (Totally worth the investment...and Bon Appétit agrees with me. Come on, I know you're hoarding those Bed, Bath & Beyond coupons somewhere...)

to make...

Using that arm strength and a very sharp, strong knife, slice squash in half lengthwise and remove seeds. My secret weapon for this is an ice cream scooper! It very easily removes the strings and seeds. I'd imagine a melon baller would work really well, too. Roast squash in the oven at 350 degrees for 45-60 minutes. If you're feeling fancy, brush with olive oil, and sprinkle with a touch of cinnamon and nutmeg. And if you're feeling lazy, totally fine to skip it! You know the squash is done when it's easily pierced with a knife. Let it cool and then peel with a vegetable peeler or pairing knife. Dice into medium-sized chunks.

While squash roasts, dice half of an onion and peel and dice a large apple. These you want to cut a little more finely than the squash. Sauté onion in olive until translucent and slightly golden. Add a pinch of salt and a grind of fresh pepper. Add the apple and let it soften for 2-3 minutes with the onion. Then add the squash and broth. In total, you'll want about 4 cups of liquid. You can use one box of stock (I prefer low sodium. Take control of your salt destiny!) or 2 vegetable bouillon cubes dissolved 2 cups of water. Add to pot and cook until squash and apple are super soft (easily mushed with the back of a spoon). Let cool, and using an immersion blender, puree until smooth. (Trick: make sure the blender is submerged in liquid or it will splatter everywhere. You're welcome.)

#butternutsquash #soup #easy #fall #vegan #vegetarian