A friend of mine called from the market and asked what I thought about using butternut squash in soup. I had just made a few of my own creations a few days earlier and had some thoughts to share.
1) Step- "Roast the squash with maple syrup and seasonings before adding it to your chicken stock" I told Phil along with how roasting vegetables before making soup, similar to making stock, always makes a great pot of goodness. A tip I picked up years ago. Also if you are making pumpkin or any squash soup, do not let it just boil away on the stove with out checking in on it. It tends to lose moisture fast, and will burn with out you knowing, at least until the smell comes your way. No way of fixing that is there?
2) Step- He then asked what I thought about adding some spicy pork sausage. I said, "Of course, but make sure you add some pumpkin spice to give the sweetness of the squash an extra layer with the heat of the sausage.", and then added "Oh and make sure you take some photos, so I can share this with my blog readers"!
Hubby came home last weekend with a variety of butternut squash and sweet potatoes. So many possibilities run through your head. I even added some baked squash to a pot of spicy red tepary beans, and they were so good!
Phil reported back that night with photos and a report- "I did bake the squash with honey and olive oil/canola oil. The spicy sausage was just what it needed".
3) Step- "I used white wine to de-glaze the saute pan; added some chicken stock, milk and butter in the end to thicken, cloves, cinnamon and nutmeg to add that sweetness you suggested with the sausage" and man was this good Phil exclaimed!
Baking vegetables like this, or roasting them adds a sweetness and flavor. Rather than just boiling them. Always a successful soup tip that never gets old.
I know Phil is enjoying these leftovers, as soup is always better the next day!
(Photos from Phil Southard's IPhone! and his recipe below...)
butternut squash soup
3 Tbs of Olive oil/ Veg oil - 50/50
1 onion - diced
20 oz of Wegmans clean cut Butternut squash
2 cloves of garlic
32 oz of Wegmans chicken stock
spices - freshly ground or graded
clove
cinnamon
nutmeg
1/2 cup of 1% Milk
1/4 cup white wine
salt and pepper
honey
2 tbs of butter
pour chicken stock into large pot and bring to slow rolling boil
while stock is being heated, saute the onions for 2 minutes
add squash and saute until squash is browned. before squash
finishes browning add garlic to sweat it. Be careful not to burn the garlic
when squash is browned add white wine to sauce pan to deglaze the pan.
next pour contents of saute pan into the now boiling stock.
poach the squash in chicken stock for 15 minutes. After 15 min, turn the heat down to medium and then use a slotted spoon to remove the squash and place into a blender. Puree the poached squash. When finished, pour pureed squash back into the stock pot. and return the soup to a boil for 10 minutes then reduce the heat to medium. next add the milk and butter. next add clove, cinnamon, nutmeg and honey to your liking. then salt and pepper the soup and reduce until the soup coats the back of a spoon when dipped into the soup.
Happy Cooking
Phil Southard
