Butternut Squash Soup

 When I was a little girl, I didn't like butternut squash at all.  It was that bland, orange thing on my dinner plate that I either tried to eat as fast as possible to "get it over with" or attempted to surreptitiously feed to the dog.  In more recent years, I have come to truly enjoy the versatility of this winter squash, and now use it in soups, sauces, and stir fries among other things.  It pairs just as beautifully with cinnamon as it does garlic, and lends itself well to both sweet and savory foods.  And besides, it just wreaks of Autumn.

With Thanksgiving coming to a close, I felt that a few lighter meals were in order.  Now in my experience, butternut squash soups are either rich with cream or sweet and apple-filled.  I wanted a soup that was instead light and savory, while still rich with flavor.  A soup that you could eat a whole bowl of without feeling like you were either drowning in cream or saccharine sweetness.  

What I found was a soup that works beautifully as the opening to a meal, but can also stand alone.  It manages to feel decadent while still being light.  If fills your house with Autumn and warms you up on a cold night without feeling like you just had dessert for dinner.  Oh, and it's easy, too.  

Butternut Squash Soup 

Adapted from Cooks Illustrated

Serves 6

2 1/2 pounds Butternut Squash

2 tablespoons butter

1 leek, sliced thin and washed thoroughly (about 1 1/2 cups)

3 cups vegetable broth (or 1 bouillon cube in three cups hot water)

1 sprig rosemary

Pinch cayenne pepper

Pinch of cinnamon (optional)

Salt and pepper

1 to 2 cups water

Cut butternut squash in half, remove seeds, and place on a foil-lined baking sheet.  Roast at 400 degrees Fahrenheit until it can be easily pierced with a knife, about 30-40 minutes.   Alternately, if you do not wish to oven roast squash, you can peel, seed, and cut squash into chunks.  You can then place squash in bowl, cover, and microwave 14-18 minutes, stirring halfway through.  Using either method, squash is ready when easily pierced with a knife.  It does not have to be cooked through, just softened.

Melt butter in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat.  Add sliced leeks, squash, and one teaspoon of salt, stirring occasionally until squash begins to break down and leeks begin to soften, 10 to 13 minutes.  

Add vegetable broth, and stir to release the brown fond that has developed at the bottom of the pot.  Add rosemary sprig, cayenne, and cinnamon if using.  Bring mixture to a simmer and simmer soup for 6 to 8 minutes, or until leeks are fully softened.  

Remove and discard rosemary sprig.  To blend soup, either puree in batches in a blender, or blend using an immersion blender, until it reaches the desired consistency.  Add water to thin soup as desired.  Adjust salt and add pepper to taste.  Garnish with pumpkin seeds or sprinkle with soft goat cheese.