drunk butternut squash soup

I love soup. Soup is forgiving and easy to leave or add an ingredient, depending on what you have in the fridge.   In fact,  I am a little afraid of this blog becoming a soup blog.  Don't worry, I will try hard not to let that happen.  That isn't true, I am just going to cook and see what happens.  This is a butternut squash soup that my kids love.  Because  butternut squash is the main ingredient, it is a little on the sweet side.  You can serve this as a starter or as a tasty lunch.  

You need to gather:

1 butternut squash
5 tablespoons of  butter 
dash a salt
a pinch of thyme 
1 large red onion
1 tablespoon garlic
4 medium carrots
1cup white wine
2 cups of vegetable broth 
1-2 cups of water


butter is good
 Start by slicing the squash in half.  You can see here, I didn't quite get it in half. Do your best with out loosing any fingers.  Sprinkle with salt and thyme.  Slice 4 tablespoons of the butter and place on top of the squash.  Put in the oven at 350 for one  hour.

chunky onions and carrots
 Meanwhile, you can work on the drunk part of the recipe.  Roughly cut up the onion and carrots.  You can see here, they can be chunky pieces.  You are blending this later, so don't bother peeling the carrots.  Unless you have a child near by that gets into trouble or you need to hear their secrets.  Peeling carrots is perfect for both of those.  Add the last tablespoon of butter, garlic, onions and carrots to a hot skillet.   Mix well and simmer until the onions just begin to wilt.

drunk onions and carrots
 While the pan is still hot, add one cup of white wine.  Let the wine come to a simmer then turn the heat to low.  Let the wine reduce.  Really, this just means to cook until most of the wine evaporates.   At this point, your drunk carrots and onions should look like  this.  Turn the stove low and put a lid on your pot.  Now you can wait until your squash is done.  For me, this means do some dishes or change the laundry.  For you, it might be more exciting like inventing a jet pack or fighting a lion.

roasted goodness
When your squash is soft enough to put a fork in, take out of the oven and let cool.  You just want it cool enough that it doesn't burn your fingers.  Gently scoop out all the yummy middle from the skin.  Sometimes it is easier to peel the skin from the squash.  Do what is easiest for you.  If there are any large pieces of squash, cut them into smaller chunks.    Add all that yummy goodness into your drunk carrots and onions. 

everything mixed together
 Add the two cups of vegetable broth to the pot and give every thing a good stir.  Put a lid on it and let simmer for a half hour.  Turn off the heat and let cool.  You want to be able to blend or put the mixture into the food processor.  I don't have a large food processor so I need to do mine in small batches.

pureed 

When it is all blended, it looks like this.  It is a little think, almost like mashed potatoes.  This is when I add the water.  Don't worry about loosing taste, you won't.  I add a half a cup at a time and whisk it.  Depending on how big your squash and carrots are, you will need more or less water.  Add water until it is creamy... you know, like butternut squash soup.  You can serve now, or if you aren't quite ready for dinner, put in the oven on a low heat until you are ready for dinner.  

thinned and ready to eat
I serve this with croutons.  I did not get to photograph this until the next day, so all my croutons were gone.  You could also serve with a dab of plain yogurt or sour cream.  This heats up nicely the next day for lunch.




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