Fall / Winter Recipe: Roasted Butternut Squash Soup October 07 2014


My sister-in-law made this soup from me when I was returning to work after my maternity leave. It was so nice to have ready lunches on hand to make one less thing to have to remember in the morning. And this one is so good. Quick, easy to transport and reheat, it freezes well.....lots of things to love about this recipe.
1 large butternut squash - peeled and cubed
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 medium onion - diced
4 cups water
4 vegetable bouillon cubes
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 eight oz. package cream cheese softened or 3/4 cup full fat greek yogurt
salt and pepper to taste


Coat squash with a bit of olive oil and salt and pepper.  Roast on 400F until soft.  Add butter and onions to a saucepan. I used a cast iron dutch oven for this part and it worked great. Heat onions through until tender.  Add in water, bouillon, roasted squash, cayenne, oregano and a bit more ground black pepper to taste.  Bring to a boil and then reduce heat.  Let the mixture simmer for about 45 minutes, then turn the burner off, add the lid and let sit for another 45 minutes.  This method allows the mixture to thicken considerably which makes for a perfect base for a hearty soup.  Next add the 8 oz. of cream cheese (or greek yogurt) and half of the squash soup mixture to your VitaMix blender.  Start off at variable 5 to let the ingredients mix together a bit.  Add the remaining squash soup mixture to the VitaMix and speed it up to variable 10.  Let the soup run in the VitaMix for a few minutes on variable 10 and then soup is ready to serve.  A VitaMix blender is not necessary here. You can blend the soup out with your handheld or regular blender as well.

Butternut squash soup - my version was adapted from this recipe.

 

Images & Post: Rebecca Tollefsen