Butternut Squash Soup

3 butternut squashes, destemmed and seeded (save the seeds!)
1 carton of chicken stock with more on hand (I use homemade, so I use about 3 of the little ziplock bags full)
3 or 4 slices of your favorite bacon, baked until crispy and and crumbled
A few grates of fresh nutmeg
Half a can of evaporated milk, or roughly the same amount of heavy or light cream (I've also used whole milk successfully).
Roughly 1 TBLS olive oil
Kosher salt, cracked black pepper, paprika, chili powder and cayenne to taste



1) Bake your bacon until crispy. Crumble and set aside.
2) Destem and cut each squash at least in half lengthwise (you can cut again crosswise to save space in cookie tray/oven if you want.
3) Separate the seeds from the pulp, rinse well and put in a paper towel to dry
4) Put squash pieces skin side up on a cookie sheet or roasting pan and put in a 400 degree oven until meat softens and skin blisters (roughly 1 hour but keep an eye on it, it seems to vary widely.
5) Let the pieces cool just until you can handle them. Peel and cube and put in a big soup pot.
6) Add enough chicken stock to cover your cubes and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil and then simmer for about 20 minutes to a half hour (you want the squash to be falling apart)
7) Adjust seasoning and then use either an immersion blender or a food processor and blend until smooth with no lumps. If you need to add more stock and simmer longer to achieve this, then you can do so.
8) Add your cream and stir. You'll see a real change in color at this point. Add a little nutmeg and let it cook for a few minutes more on lowered heat until it further reduces and the raw cream taste changes to a more even squash flavor. Feel free to adjust seasoning again, but don’t go too crazy with salt, as you will be adding a lot with the toppings.
9) Get a nonstick pan and add your olive oil. Make a spice mix out of kosher salt, cracked black pepper, paprika, chili powder and cayenne and liberally season your seeds before throwing in the pan. Cook until crispy and well toasted, but not black.
10) Ladle your soup into bowls and sprinkle each bowl with seeds and bacon. Do not skimp on the seeds nor the bacon

 

MRS-HB is going to love this!

 

This is the one i've been making...
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 pound winter squash, sweet potatoes, carrots, or any combination thereof
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 4 tablespoons minced ginger
• 1 teaspoon dried ginger
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• Dash cayenne pepper
• 4 cups stock or water
• 1 15.5-ounce can coconut milk
• Juice of 1/2 lemon
• Juice of 1/2 orange
• 1 tablespoon orange zest
• 2 tablespoons real maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon light-colored vinegar
• Salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
1. Peel squash with a vegetable peeler, remove seeds, and slice into large chunks, as if you’re making mashed potatoes, and set aside.
2. Place large stockpot over medium heat, add oil, and sauté onions, garlic, fresh ginger, dried ginger, cinnamon stick, thyme, cumin and cayenne until translucent, about 6 minutes.
3. Add squash and stock or water, bring to a boil, reduce heat to simmer, and cook until vegetables are super soft, about 30 minutes.
4. Add coconut milk, lemon juice, orange juice, zest, maple syrup, and vinegar. Stir and mash the squash and cook for an additional 10 minutes.
5. Add more stock or water if necessary to achieve the consistency you prefer.
6. Allow to cool slightly, remove the cinnamon stick, and purée in a blender or with emulsion blender. Taste and add salt and pepper if necessary.
7. Variation: Add a tablespoon of curry powder when sautéing the onion.

 

my favorite remains the simple, elegant cooks illustrated recipe:
halve the squash, scoop out and save the seeds and stringy stuff.
melt butter in a pot, sautee a good amount of diced shallots and the all of the squash innards until golden and nutty, at least 5 min.
add water, put in a steamer basket, steam the squash (in big chunks) over this liquid (or peel first) until just soft. don't overcook. 10 minutes max.
let the squash cool and peel it. strain the liquid, pushing it hard with a spoon to get some of the shallots to gunge through.
put the liquid back in the pot and heat. add the squash, a few spoons of brown sugar, salt, and a splash of sherry, and enough water if needed to be able to blend. bring back to a simmer.
add cream and blend the ever fricking dickens out of it, until it's velvety smooth.

 

Mrs. HB a butternut squash enthusiast?

 

Sub'd. Love me some squash soup.