Read below for a heart-warming Butternut Squash Soup recipe.
I am a huge fan of gourds. They come in savory and sweet forms. Some of the seeds are excellent for roasting. They make a great side or main dishes. From lasagnas to soups, gourds are a fall staple. Here are some of my favorite ways to take advantage of the most colorful crops of this season.
“I can make raviolis or scrumptious lasagna with it. I also cube it up and roast it with a little cinnamon and nutmeg as a side or a snack. ”
Pumpkins are not just for making jack-o-lanterns. Their seeds make a wonderful snack when roasted. After cleaning the seeds, pat them dry, toss in vegetable oil and pop them in the oven at 350 on a sheet pan for 30 minutes. Season them with salt and maybe Texify them a little with a splash of chili powder and cumin.
I love spaghetti squash. I cut mine in half, remove the seeds, and then rub olive oil on the inside and outside of the vegetable. I place both halves of the spaghetti squash on a sheet pan cut side down. I turn the oven on 375 and let the squash roast until the outside is tender. It’s similar to checking a baked potato for tenderness. Baking time will be somewhere between 40 minutes and an hour depending on the size of the vegetable. Once the two halves are done, remove it from the oven and shred the inside with a fork to create spaghetti. Serve this shredded squash with spaghetti sauce or with olive oil, parmesan, salt, and pepper.
Acorn squash is so versatile and can be served in many ways. One simple and popular way of preparing this gourd is as a stuffed main dish. Cut the acorn squash in half from the stem to the base. Remove the seeds and stuff with your favorite ground meat, nut, dried fruit, cheese, and seasonings mixture. If the ground meat is already browned, then cook in the oven or on the grill until the acorn squash is tender. If the meat is raw, cook until the center of the stuffing reaches the appropriate temperature for the meat used. Ground turkey and ground chicken should cook to an internal temperature of 165 degrees.
Then there is my favorite gourd, butternut squash. I serve this veggie in a main dish, side dish, or in a dessert. I put butternut squash in pork stew with apples. I can make ravioli or scrumptious lasagna with it. I also cube it up and roast it with a little cinnamon and nutmeg as a side or a snack.
But one of the most popular ways of serving butternut squash is as a savory and satisfying soup. There are many recipes out there. Some use obscure ingredients. If you are new to cooking with butternut squash, this recipe is a great way to become acquainted. This recipe keeps it simple, heart-warming, and delicious.
Butternut Squash Soup
1 tbsp. vegetable oil
1 medium yellow onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 cups butternut squash, diced
2 cups green apples, cored and diced
2 cups chicken or vegetable stock
½ tsp. cinnamon
¼ tsp. nutmeg
Salt and pepper to taste
¼ cup heavy cream
Fresh thyme, basil, or rosemary
Heat oil in a soup pot over medium-high heat. Sweat and lightly caramelize the onion in the oil for 5 minutes. Add garlic and stir for thirty seconds. Add butternut squash and apples. (To prep butternut squash, cut off both ends, peel with a vegetable peeler, slice in half lengthwise, remove seeds with a spoon until smooth, and dice.) Stir squash and apples until slightly tender, approximately 5 more minutes. Add stock, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Bring to a boil. Cover and reduce to a simmer for 30 minutes. Add soup to a blender in batches or use an emulsion blender to blend until smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve in bowls. Drizzle 1 to 2 tbsp. cream in the center of the bowl of soup. Use a butter knife to swirl the dollop into the bowl of soup. Garnish with fresh herb. Double this recipe to feed a party.
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