Butternut Squash Soup with Apples and Bacon
Ingredients:
2 slc Bacon
1/2 med Onion, chopped fine (about 1/2 cup)
White and pale green parts of 1 large, chopped fine and leek, washed well (about 1 cup) ( If you don't have leeks, either leave them out entirely or use a mild green onion. Regular onions are not a good substitute)
1 lrg Garlic clove, minced
1/2 x Bay leaf
1 1/4 lb Butternut squash, seeded, peeled, and cut into 1-inch pieces (about 3 cups)
1 med Granny Smith or other tart apple
2 cup Low-salt chicken broth
1/2 cup Water plus additional for thinning soup
2 tbl Sour cream or creme fraiche
Garnishes:
Sour cream or creme fraiche
Chopped unpeeled apple
In a skillet cook bacon until crisp and drain, reserving 1 1/2 tablespoons fat. Crumble bacon.
In a heavy saucepan cook onion, leek, garlic, and bay leaf with salt and pepper to taste in reserved fat over moderate heat, stirring, until softened.
Add squash, apple, peeled and chopped, broth, and 1/2 cup water.
Simmer mixture, covered, until squash is very tender, about 15 minutes, and discard bay leaf.
In a blender puree mixture in batches, transferring as pureed to a clean saucepan, and add enough additional water to thin soup to desired consistency.
Whisk in sour cream or creme fraiche and salt and pepper to taste and heat soup over moderately low heat until hot (do not boil). Serve soup topped with crumbled bacon and accompaniments.
Makes about 4 1/2 cups.
Butternut Squash Soup with Toasted Sage and Croutons
Ingredients:
3 med or 2 large butternut squash, (4 lbs.)
OR acorn squash
28 oz canned vegetable broth, (1 quart.)
1 tsp coarse salt
1/4 tsp ground white pepper
4 tbl extra-virgin olive oil
OR
3 Tbs. vegetable oil and 1 Tbs. walnut
oil
24 x fresh small sage leaves
4 slc firm-textured white bread
For an extra-special touch toast the squash seeds to sprinkle over the soup. Rinse seeds, pat dry with paper towels, spread on a baking sheet and bake at 350F for 30 to 40 minutes, tossing occasionally. This make-ahead soup can be frozen for up to 1 month.
Preheat oven to 400F. Cut squash in half lengthwise and scoop out seeds; save seeds for toasting if desired (see above). Place squash halves cut side down on large baking sheet with sides. Bake until skins are browned and squash is tender, about 1 hour 10 minutes. Let cool slightly.
Scoop cooked squash from skins and transfer to large saucepan. Mash well with potato masher, then stir in broth and 2 cups water. Bring to a simmer over medium-low heat, stirring often. Season with salt and pepper and remove from heat. Soup should be as thick as tomato sauce-add up to 1 cup more water to thin if necessary. If you prefer a finer texture, cool slightly then puree soup in a blender or food processor. Let cool completely, transfer to container with lid and refrigerate at least 8 hours.
Up to 4 hours before serving, heat 3 tablespoons oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add sage leaves and cook until lightly browned, turning once, about 1 minute. Using tongs, transfer sage to paper towels to drain.
Reserve oil in skillet.
Trim crusts from bread, discarding crusts. Cut each bread slice diagonally into 4 triangles, then cut each triangle in half to make 32 croutons total.
Heat reserved oil in skillet over medium heat. Add half the croutons and cook, turning once, until golden on both sides, about 1 minute. Transfer to paper towels to drain. Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in skillet and cook remaining croutons as before.
Rewarm soup over low heat, stirring occasionally. Ladle soup into howls and scatter 3 toasted sage leaves over each portion. Garnish each with 4 croutons and serve hot.
Mexican Butternut Squash Soup
Ingredients:
2 tsp Olive Oil
2 cup Butternut Squash Peeled And Cubed
2 cup Chopped Onion
1 cup Chopped Red Bell Pepper
1 cup Chopped Celery
1/2 cup Poblano Peppers Seeded And Sliced
1 tsp Dried Oregano
1 tsp Chili Powder
4 cup Vegetable Broth
15 1/2 can Whole Kernel Corn, Frozen Thawed
1/4 cup Fresh Lime Juice
Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add squash and next 6 ingredients (squash through chili powder); saute 3 minutes. Add broth and hominy; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 35 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Stir in lime juice and cilantro.
Balsamic Glazed Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Butternut Squash
Ingredients:
4 lrg sweet potatoes peeled, and
cut into 3/4" by 3" cubes
1/4 cup olive oil plus more
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar plus more
2 tbl unsalted butter melted
2 tbl chopped fresh herbs such as
rosemary and thyme
Salt to taste
Freshly-ground black pepper to taste
2 med butternut squash peeled, seeded,
and cut into 3/4" by 3" cubes
1 sm arugula bunch washed, and
stems removed
Heat oven to 400 degrees. In a large bowl, toss together the potatoes, 2 tablespoons olive oil, 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar, 1 tablespoon butter, 1 tablespoon herbs, salt, and pepper.
In a separate bowl, toss together squash, 2 tablespoons olive oil, 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar, 1 tablespoon butter, 1 tablespoon herbs, salt, and pepper.
Arrange the vegetables in a single layer on two 13- by 18-inch baking pans. Transfer pans to oven, and roast vegetables until golden and tender, 45 to 60 minutes, rotating the pans between the shelves halfway through roasting.
Remove the pans from the oven, and allow vegetables to cool slightly. Transfer vegetables to a large bowl. Toss the vegetables with the arugula. Drizzle with additional olive oil and balsamic vinegar, and serve immediately.
This recipe yields 10 to 12 servings.
