Creamy Butternut Squash Soup

Along with autumn and cooler weather comes an abundance of winter squashes:  pumpkins, acorn squash and butternut squash, among others.  My favorite is butternut squash and my favorite thing to make with them is soup.

The recipe I use is one that I created combining several recipes that I found on the internet.  It is simple and quick.   Here's what you do.

• Roast a butternut squash by cutting it in half and putting it cut-side down in a pan.  Add about half an inch of water to the pan and cook in a 350 degree oven until the squash is tender when pierced with a fork.
• Let the squash cool and peel it.  The peeling should come off easily.  Then mash the squash and set aside.

•  In a heavy pot, saute the following in 1 tablespoon of olive oil:
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1 large carrot, chopped

• When the onions are translucent, add 3 cups of chicken broth or vegetable broth.  Or, mix the two and use 1.5 cups of each.

• Bring to a simmer and cook until the carrots are tender.  Then, add the mashed squash.

• Heat to a simmer and add 1/4 teaspoon of Nutmeg.

• At this point, you have to puree the soup.  You can do this using a counter-top blender or an immersion blender.  If you do it using a counter-top blender, you will have to work on batches of about 2 cups at a time and be careful to not let any of the hot soup splash out on you!  I like to use an immersion blender, like this.

• Puree the soup until it is creamy and smooth.  Then add 1/2 cup of half and half.

• Adjust the seasonings by adding salt and pepper to taste.  I add a little more nutmeg as well.

The finished soup is creamy and sweet and reminds me of the Pumpkin Lattes you can get at the coffee shops this time of year.