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Community Corner

Recipe: Butternut Squash Soup

A recipe that will keep you warm this winter.

It's January, right? Shouldn't temperatures have dropped to below freezing by now? Maybe snow doesn't have to cover every inch of sidewalk, but one would expect a few snow flurries here and there, along with overcast skies and slushy sidewalks.

It seems like the only things marking this year's winter are the holiday lights and the fact that it's dark before the work day has finished. So while warming up with a bowl of soup isn't as exciting in forty degree, sunny weather, it's time to take a stand and enjoy that soup, anyway. Winter doesn't last forever, and neither does the craving for cold weather eats, such as today's recipe  - Butternut Squash Soup.  Get it while it's hot!

Ingredients

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  • 1 sm. Butternut squash
  • 1 med. Granny Smith or McIntosh Apple
  • 1/2 sm. Red bell pepper
  • 2 sprigs parsley
  • 1/4 tsp. cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp. black pepper
  • 2 Tbs. olive oil
  • 1/2 tsp. garlic
  • 3/4 C. vegetable broth (adjust as needed if using a larger squash)
  • 1/4 C. Half and half
  • 1/3 C. Walnuts
  • 2 Tbs. Red Onion, minced – optional

Directions

Cut butternut squash into large chunks (discarding stringy pulp and seeds) and steam in a saucepan with a small amount of water until tender. Cooking times vary by size of pieces and ripeness but check them from 10 – 20 minutes. While squash is cooking, core and chop apple. Cut bell peppers into small strips, and dice parsley. Add olive oil to a medium soup kettle and heat. Sauté apples, bell pepper, parsley, cinnamon, and black pepper until tender, about 3 - 5 minutes. While apples and peppers are sautéing, remove the skins from steamed butternut squash and place in a blender with vegetable broth and garlic. Blend butternut squash mixture thoroughly on high until creamy. Pour squash mixture into soup kettle with apples and red bell peppers. Stir well and heat on low-medium for approximately ten minutes. Add half and half. Heat if necessary but do NOT allow soup to come to full boil to prevent half and half from separating. If needed, you may thicken soup with instant potato flakes or a blend of flour and water. Serve in soup bowls and top with chopped walnuts and minced onion if desired. Delicious with French bread or rosemary bread. Garnish with fresh parsley if desired.

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