Butternut Squash Soup

I love butternut squash soup! Anytime I’d go out for lunch and saw it on the menu, I’d order it. Imagine how thrilled I was when my friend told me about this recipe. I looked at the recipe and thought, yes, I can make this and I have all the ingredients...until I went to make it. So I made a couple of substitutions from my kitchen cupboard that worked out just fine! I hope you like it.

Makes 8 servings
Serving size: 1½ cups
Prep time: 1 hour
Cooking time: 1 hour (can vary, I like a longer simmering time)

Ingredients for butternut squash soup

• 2 small butternut squash
• 2 tsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp butter
• 1½ cups sweet onion, chopped
• 1 large sweet apple, peeled and coarsely chopped
• ½ tsp poultry seasoning
• ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
• ¼ tsp ground ginger
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 1 cup dark red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp black pepper
• ½ cup half and half (10%) cream

Directions for butternut squash soup

1. Preheat the oven to 450F.
2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
3. Carefully cut each squash in half. Scoop out the seeds and discard. Brush the cut side of each with olive oil.
4. Roast for 45 min or until flesh is easy to scoop out and slightly browned and caramelized. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.
5. Melt butter in a big soup pot, medium heat.
6. Add the onions and apples, cooking slowly to soften them. May take 10 to 15 min.
7. Stir in poultry seasoning, cinnamon and ginger. Add broth, beans, salt and pepper.
8. Scoop out the squash and add it to the pot. Bring the soup to a boil.
9. Reduce the heat to simmer, covered. Simmer for a minimum of 15 min.
10. Using either a regular or immersion blender, blend until smooth.
11. Stir in cream, heat and serve.