Butternut Squash Soup (get PDF)

 This recipe was found at https://www.gimmesomeoven.com/slow-cooker-butternut-squash-soup-recipe/

 Yield: 6-8 servings

 The original (link above) has instructions for both slow cooker (crock pot) and stove top. The instructions here are for stovetop only.

 We grow butternut squash almost every year, and make various recipes with them. Butternut squash soup is one of my favorites, and we always make big batches to freeze so we can enjoy it throughout the winter. This recipe is for the best I have tasted.This year we turned 12 lbs of squash into soup. We tripled all ingredients. We ended up with about 7 quarts, which we put into 3-1/8 cup rectangular containers purchased at the dollar store.

 Ingredients:
 2 cups vegetable stock (we mixed vegetable stock with some chicken stock we had left over) (use low or no salt if possible)
 4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
 1 carrot, peeled and roughly chopped
 1 Granny Smith apple, cored and roughly chopped (we used Granny Smith last time, this time we had some Honeycrisp on hand and used them)
 1 medium (about 3-4 lbs) butternut squash, peeled, seeded and diced
 1 white onion, peeled and roughly chopped
 1 sprig fresh sage (we had no fresh sage, and used rubbed sage leaf. 1 sprig = 1/2 tsp)
 1/2 teaspoon salt
 1/4 teaspoon freshly-ground black pepper
 1/8 teaspoon cayenne
 pinch of ground cinnamon and nutmeg (1/8 teaspoon each will work great)
 1/2 cup canned (unsweetened) coconut milk
 optional garnishes: extra coconut milk, smoked paprika... (we added some paprika to the mix rather than add as a garnish. Don't know how  much, added by eye)

 

 

 Stovetop Instructions:

 1. Add vegetable stock, garlic*, carrot, apple, butternut squash, sage, onion*, salt, pepper, cayenne, cinnamon and nutmeg a large stockpot.

  

 Toss to combine.

 
 

2. Cook on medium-high until the mixture reaches a simmer. Then cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer for 20-30 minutes until the vegetables are all tender and mash easily with a fork.
 

3. Remove and discard the sage. Stir in the coconut milk.
 

4. Use an immersion blender to puree the soup until smooth. (Or you can transfer the soup in two batches into a traditional blender and puree until smooth, being  extremely careful not to fill the blender too full with a hot liquid.) Taste, and season with additional salt, pepper and cayenne as needed.
 

5. Serve warm, topped with your desired garnishes

 .

 *For extra flavor, I recommend sautéing the garlic and onion before adding the remaining ingredients. Just heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high heat. Add diced onion and sauté for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tender. Then add minced garlic and sauté for 1-2 additional minutes until fragrant, stirring occasionally. Then add the remaining ingredients and continue on with the recipe.