OH MY GOURD

It's Fall y'all! The pumpkin patch is back & that means lots of delicious gourds, including butternut squash. Now I love butternut squash in just about every form, but this soup is one of my favorites.

The perfect BUTTERNUT SQUASH SOUP balances sweet with savory & this recipe fits the bill. It took me awhile to perfect this recipe, but I promise it will put all canned versions to shame.

This soup also freezes beautifully, so I like to double the recipe & stock the freezer for a quick & easy weeknight dinner. Surprisingly filling, you can serve this with a salad & have a complete meal!

BUTTERNUT SQUASH SOUP

4 cups butternut squash (about 1 medium squash)

1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon pink Himalayan salt

1 teaspoon kosher salt

2 teaspoons brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon dried sage

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1 medium onion

2 tablespoons butter

1 cup carrots

2 cups low sodium chicken stock

1 chicken bouillon cube

2 cups water

1/2 cup heavy cream

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Peel & dice butternut squash into 1-2 inch cubes. Combine squash with 1/4 cup olive oil, Himalayan salt + pepper, brown sugar, & sage. Place on baking sheet & roast for 45 minutes, until squash is tender.

In a pot, sauté onion in butter & 2 tablespoons olive oil. Once onions are soft & slightly golden, add diced carrots. Cook for about 5 minutes until carrots begin to soften.

Add chicken bouillon cube to 2 cups hot water to dissolve & pour into the pot with the onions & carrots. Pour in chicken stock & kosher salt. Add the roasted squash.

In batches, transfer the contents of the pot to a blender to purée. Warm liquids will expand in the blender, so only fill the blender about 2/3 full. Remove middle nozzle to release some of the heat & cover with a dish towel when blending.

Before returning puréed mixture to the pot, run mixture through a mesh strainer. This will give the soup a wonderful silk texture.

Keep the heat on low to warm soup through. Add a pinch of nutmeg & salt + pepper to taste. Slowly stir in 1/4 to 1/2 cup heavy cream, depending on how creamy you like it. Give it one final taste for seasoning. Voila, you've just made soup!

Serve it with a drizzle of cream & top with pumpkin seeds.

ENJOY!