Butternut Squash Soup

This dish was the soup course at our Valentine's Day Dinner. You may recall that all the recipes at this dinner had honey in them. This recipe has a lot going for it. It’s a good basic winter soup that includes a nice assortment of veggies. It would probably also be good with pumpkin instead of squash.

There’s just one problem, though, that became apparent when I got to the supermarket. The recipe calls for “1 butternut squash”. Okay….how big? The supermarket had quite a range of sizes. I went with a medium-large one – about a foot long or so. Considering the levels of the other ingredients, maybe I should have used a smaller one. But, the resulting soup had a nice thick texture.

The flavor was fine, too, except that it was almost too sweet. I tend to hold back on the salt and pepper, and in this case should probably have added the full amount called for. That I used homemade chicken broth that is low in salt, and left out the celery, which is naturally relatively salty, might have made a difference too. Or I could have cut back on the honey.

Verdict: Yum! This one's a keeper!

Butternut Squash Soup
(source: National Honey Board, www.honey.com)

2 Tablespoons butter
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 carrots, diced
2 celery stalks, diced
1 potato, peeled and diced
1 butternut squash, peeled,seeded and diced
3 cans (14.5 oz. each) chicken broth
1/2 cup honey
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves, crushed
Salt and pepper, to taste

In large pot, melt butter over medium heat. Stir in onions and garlic. Cook and stir until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Stir in carrots, celery, potatoes, squash, chicken broth, honey and thyme. Bring mixture to boil; reduce heat and simmer 30 to 45 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Remove from heat and cool slightly. Transfer mixture to blender or food processor; process until smooth. Return pureed soup to pot. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Heat until hot and serve. Makes 6 servings.

Recycle: broth cans, honey jar

Compost: veggie peelings