Mondays on Main St. – Butternut Squash Soup

Tags

apples, butternut squash, butternut squash soup, croutons, food, onions, recipe, soup, soup recipe, vegetarian

Hi there and happy Monday!

I’m so glad you are dropping by today.

I’ve been wanting to add a soup recipe to the Mondays on Main St. series, especially now that the cooler weather is arriving in these parts.

Last time I shared a post on banana bread and like a good quick bread recipe, having several go-to soup recipes at the ready is always a good thing.

Speaking of good things, my youngest son finished his fall baseball season with a win!  They only won two games in the four tournaments they competed in, but he had such a great time with his teammates.

He loves baseball.

I love that when you are little you can go play your favorite sport and its not uber serious just yet. It will be soon and I know that, but for now it’s just great fun with a lot of learning (and an equal amount of mistakes).

But, afterward a loss is erased with a treat (or two) from the concession stand and a hug from his mom.

His birthday is coming up, plus basketball season and there will be plenty more baseball next spring.  That is certain.

These are the joys of being little.

Let’s begin on the butternut squash soup.  To get started, chop two small yellow onions. I was teary when I finished, but got through it.

In 1 tbsp of olive oil and 1 tbsp of unsalted butter, stir the onions over low heat until they are softened.

Add 2 lbs of peeled and cubed butternut squash to the Dutch oven.  Add one large Honey Crisp apple (peeled and chopped), 1 tsp Kosher salt, a couple of grinds of black pepper and 2 cups of water.  Bring to a boil and then lower the heat and cook covered for 30-40 minutes.

Puree the soup in the bowl of your food processor and then return to the Dutch oven.  Add a 1/2 cup of apple juice and season to taste with additional salt and black pepper.

I added a couple of simple, homemade croutons to the each serving by slicing Italian bread, brushing each slice with olive oil and a little sprinkle of salt and black pepper.  I placed them on a sheet pan into a 425 degree oven for about 6-7 minutes.

I adapted this recipe from the Barefoot Contessa Parties! cookbook, which is definitely one of my favorite of her cookbooks.  And, I’m currently working my way through several of her fall recipes.

This came together so quickly and is a perfect Monday’s on Main St. addition.

You can find the original recipe here.

Butternut Squash Soup

Ingredients

1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 tablespoon good olive oil
1 1/2 cups chopped yellow onions (2 small)
2 pounds butternut squash 
1 large honey crips apple
1 teaspoons kosher salt
2 turns of pepper grinder – freshly ground black pepper
2 cups water
1/2 cup apple  juice

Method

Heat the butter, olive oil, and onions in a Dutch oven uncovered over low heat for 15 to 20 minutes, until the onions are softened,  stirring occasionally.

Peel the squash, cut in half, and remove the seeds. Cut the squash into large cubes. Peel, quarter, and core the apple and chop.

Add the squash, apples, salt, pepper, and 2 cups of water to the pot. Bring to a boil, cover, and cook over low heat for 30 to 40 minutes.  Puree the soup in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade until smooth.

Pour the soup back into the pot. Add the apple juice and stir to to combine. Taste and adjust the seasonings with additional salt and pepper.

You can add a simple crouton to your finished soup if desired (see note on how to make them above).