Roasted Garlic and Butternut Squash Soup

Looking out my front window at my neighborhood shaded by large mature trees, it’s without question autumn. Look a little closer though and you’ll see trees still sporting green leaves like they didn’t get the memo.

It’s November 8th and it’s 70 degrees today.

Good thing a jacket is not required to make this soup. Just a food processor.

This recipe calls for a 2 lb. butternut squash. That is actually quite a petite squash. The ones generally found at the supermarket can be practically twice that size. I adapt the seasoning measurements to accommodate a larger squash simply by just “heaping” the measurements instead of using level measures. Highly precise, I know. You can also adjust this recipe to be as spicy or mild as you prefer. I, as always, recommend going spicy.

Because of the inconsistency of squash sizes at the market, achieving the perfect soup texture with this recipe can also be considered a substantial victory. There is no exact magic amount of stock that results in the perfect soup texture. I buy a 4 cup box and always have enough. You want to avoid the too thick baby food puree texture but you also don’t exactly want squash juice. I add stock little by little and test frequently by spilling a spoonful of soup back into the pot. Look for a slow but fluid stream, no plops.

I recommend serving with a few toasted slices of Trader Joe’s Asiago Peppercorn Tuscan Pane Italian Bread.

Roasted Garlic and Butternut Squash Soup

Adapted from Slice of Feist

2 Pound Butternut Squash (see above)

1 1/2 – 3 Cups Vegetable or Chicken Stock

1 head of garlic, top 1/4 inch sliced off

Spray olive oil

1 Tablespoon olive oil

1/2 Yellow Or Red Onion Chopped

2 Tablespoons butter (or other preferred fat)

1 Tablespoon or more Ground Cumin

3/4 Teaspoon Cinnamon

1/2 Teaspoon Ground Coriander

1/4 Teaspoon Cayenne Pepper

1 or 2 Tablespoons Honey

Lots of salt and pepper to taste (I use at least 1 Tsp of kosher salt)

Cut your squash in half lengthwise. The easiest way to accomplish this without losing an appendage is to slice off the top and the bottom, set the squash upright on its bottom and slice down from the top upon a sturdy non-slip cutting board. Scoop out the seeds (grapefruit spoon is great for this). Cover a rimmed baking sheet with foil and spray with olive oil. Place squash halves flesh down on baking sheet and spray skin with olive oil. Stab it a few times with a fork and bake at 425 degrees for 30-45 minutes…or until it is super easy to insert a fork into it. Right after you place the squash in the oven, envelope the head of garlic in a square of foil, cut side up. Drizzle with a tablespoon of olive oil, and close foil around the head. Set in the oven with the squash to roast. Pull th e squash and garlic out of the oven at the same time.

While allowing the squash and garlic to cool a bit, saute your chopped onion in butter until translucent, about 10 minutes on medium low.

Scrape the flesh of the squash from the skin into the bowl of a food processor. Squeeze the cloves of garlic from their head into the processor. Puree the squash, onion, and roasted garlic, spices, honey and about a half cup of stock until smooth.  Add puree to a pot. Slowly add stock until desired texture is achieved. Heat it up to simmering for about 10 minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings to your liking.

Serve hot! Like most soups, this tastes even better the next day.

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