I guess you have to be a true lover of squash to appreciate the sweet velvety goodness of this gourd. I will be quite happy to eat his share. I've already eaten two bowls, frozen two containers and saved some for next week.
If you love squash and want to make it yourself, here are the directions:
Ingredients2 large butternut squash (about 5 cups of seeded wedges)
2 14.5 ounce cans of chicken broth
2 Tablespoons of honey
1 tsp. fresh ginger
about 1/2 cup of half & half (real cream if you want it really decadent)
pinch of nutmeg
This is butternut squash
I always wash the outside off before cutting it just so my knife does not get full of whatever bacteria may be on the outside. Sometimes there is dirt on the outside (if, like me, you got them from a real farmer, not a grocery store)
I cut it in smaller pieces and then remove the skin.
I like to remove the skin prior to roasting so I have more edges exposed to pick up the carmelization from the high heat.I did not think this was all that difficult, BUT last night I noticed a big old blister had developed inside my index finger. OUCH! I think next time I will roast with the skin left on.Cut into small chunks and dump onto two large oiled (or sprayed) baking sheets.
Pour some olive oil over all and toss with salt and pepper.Roast in a very hot oven - 450 degrees - for about 30 minutes. The time depends on how small you cut the chunks, so just keep watching until you can easily insert a fork all the way through.
Mmmmmm, look at these golden nuggets of sugary flavor.Use a mixer, blender, whatever you have to puree the squash. I left mine rather coarsly pureed as I like the texture of a few chunks of squash in my soup.
Put about 5 or 6 cups of the pureed squash in a large sauce pan. Add the chicken broth, honey and minced ginger and nutmeg. Heat just until hot. Stir in the 1/2 cup of half and half.I sprinkled just a hint of nutmeg in the bowl. I would have also cut up a few of my frozen chives for an added garnish, but they were in the basement freezer and I didn't bother to go down and get them.
That's the second time I've wanted those chives and they have been in the basement. I wonder whose silly idea it was to move them to the basement? I must remember to bring them back up to the kitchen.
By the way this ugly gnarled thing is ginger root.
You just pull off a little "finger", peel it and grate it right over the soup pot. I used a microplane, but any grater will do just fine.
So there you have it.
It's very easy to make.
Honey as a sweetener. Sounds divine! Oh gosh, I might even try making it. My husband would be forever grateful to you.
ReplyDeleteLOL, Karen. It would be nice if somebody's husband was grateful! hee hee
ReplyDeleteHusbands can be so stubborn sometimes. I love any kind of squash but no one else in my house will touch it..Not even pumpkin.
ReplyDeleteThe soup looks delicous. I guess you will have to eat it all:)
Pat
My favorite squash! AND, my husband would eat it!!! The only thing he won't eat is chicken and dumplings. The odd thing about that is he will eat tortilla soup, made with flour tortillas, which comes out just like chicken and dumplings.
ReplyDeleteButternut is our family's favorite squash. Most people don't seem to know this, but the bigger ones have the best flavor. I split them in half, take out the seeds and bake them at 375 for about an hour and a half. They would cook faster if I did it your way, but I couldn't fit them in the oven cut into smaller pieces. (We usually need 3 big ones, 11 or 12 pounds worth.) After they are done, I remove the peels and mash them with more butter than is seemly (two sticks). It is easier to remove the peels after they're baked, but I have peeled them raw with a carrot peeler. Tedious work. You're right, the more the squash caramelizes the better it is.
ReplyDeleteYum, yum, yum! DH does not know what he's missing! I make a savory roasted squash soup with sauteed onions and garlic and since H doesn't care for cream soups, I thicken it with a couple of small potatoes, diced and simmered with the squash til tender then "cream" the whole thing with the immersion blender. Top with finely diced red pepper, green onions or chives. And, like you, I have moved the frozen chives upstairs! "-)
ReplyDeleteMy guys don't care for squash either. I think they'll eat zucching fritters and bread, but that's the limit.
ReplyDeleteYour soup looked delicious! Sorry you got burned.
Zoey, where do you get all the energy for this stuff? One fall day I peeled, diced, sauteed, and simmered a ton of veggies for a lovely homemade vegetable soup. It was good, tasted just like Campbell's. Ummm, do you see where I'm going with this?
ReplyDeleteKeep up the good work because we love your great blog entries!
Sorry, Zoey, I am with hubby on the squash. Although, you put so much work into this, I would have at least pretended to enjoy a bowl!
ReplyDeleteDoes the man like ginger? It's a strong enough spice that if you don't like it, it can taint the whole meal...
ReplyDeleteOr is he just averse to squash?
Zoey, my husband hates it too! I always eat his portion and he doesn't mind one bit! I grilled lots of squash this summer but have never tried the soup. It sounds yummy! I'll take some to my daughter too.
ReplyDeleteI might try this now that I've figured out that fresh pumpkin actually tastes good (as opposed to canned). I use a teaspoon to grate my ginger (I saw that on tv, but forget who taught it).
ReplyDelete