Butternut Squash Soup

This is a bit late for the season, but this butternut squash soup recipe would be a perfect beginning to a Thanksgiving Day meal. It tastes like warm pumpkin pie in soup form--and having never had squash before, I was definitely pleased! Recipe found here.

You will need:
1 butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into 1 inch cubes
1 yellow onion, diced
4 cloves garlic
3-4 sprigs of fresh thyme (pull leaves off twiggy part)
4 cups vegetable stock
1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp black pepper
salt & pepper to taste

First, peel, de-seed, and chop your squash. This was probably the most challenging step of the process--those things are hard to chop! Totally worth it, however. Set squash aside.

Next, chop your onion and garlic. Heat oil in a large skillet and saute the onion, garlic, and thyme until soft and fragrant (5 minutes or so). Add in the squash and continue to saute for another minute. Transfer skillet contents to a large sauce or stock pan.

In sauce pan, add the vegetable stock to the onion/garlic/thyme/squash. Bring to a simmer and cook for 30-40 minutes, or until squash is soft. Add in remaining spices and simmer for a few minutes more.

Remove from heat and use an immersion blender (or carefully transfer to a regular blender) and blend until smooth. Serve warm.

Now, the picture shows a sprinkling of parmesan cheese, as the original recipe called for. I found the parmesan cheese to be too overpowering for the sweetness of the soup, however. A sprinkling of a milder cheese, some croutons, or a dusting of paprika would have been yummy, however! Enjoy!