Video:Butternut Squash Soup

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Transcript:Butternut Squash Soup

Hello, I'm Michele Manfredi for About.com Food. Today, I'd like to show you how to make butternut squash soup.

Prep and Bake the Butternut Squash

We're going to start by cutting a 3-pound butternut squash in half. First cut the stem, then through the middle of the skinny end, then turn and cut through the larger end. Once it's in half, take a large spoon and scrape out all the seeds. Place the skin side down on a foil-lined baking sheet and put it into a 375 degree oven for 1 hour or until very tender when tested with a knife. When it's cool enough to handle, use a spoon to scoop out all the flesh and reserve. By roasting the squash first, we are going to achieve a deeper, richer flavor.

Add Ingredients to Soup Pot

Next we're going to add a Tablespoon of butter to our soup pot, we're going to saute 1-diced onion with a pinch of salt over medium heat for about 10 minutes or until golden brown. At that point I'm going to add 2 cloves of minced garlic and cook that stirring for about 1 minute. Now it's time for our secret ingredient, I'm going to add 2 small or 1 large green apple. Just peel it, core it, and then cut it into large chunks.

Mix in Chicken Stock and Butternut Squash

We're going to toss that in with 1 quart of chicken stock. We're going to turn the heat up to high and when it comes to a simmer, turn it down to low and simmer for 15 minutes. The apple in this recipe really gives it a great flavor and a little extra sweetness. At that point we're going to add our butternut squash give it a stir and let that simmer for about 20 minutes, or until everything is very soft.

Finish Soup and Blend

To finish, we're going to add a 1/2-cup of cream, give that a stir, turn off the heat and then blend until smooth. You can do this in small batches using a regular blender but better yet, one of these immersion blenders works perfectly. We want to create a very, very smooth puree, so keep blending until that's achieved. At this point you can turn the heat back on to low and season with a little bit of cayenne and of course some salt. Some people like black pepper, but I prefer the cayenne because it doesn’t leave black specks.

Garnish and Serve Butternut Squash Soup

And there you see our finished soup, such a beautiful color and texture. Now to get a little fancy with the presentation, I like to whisk up a couple Tablespoons of cold cream until it just starts to thicken. I like to drizzle that over the top and then garnish with some fresh chives and you have a really, really beautiful bowl of soup. Not only does it look beautiful, it tastes incredible. I really hope you give this easy, hearty, butternut squash soup a try, enjoy.

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