Savory Butternut Squash Soup

Let's talk pureed soups.  What's not to love?  You just chop a bunch of stuff up, throw it in a pot, forget about it, and blend it to perfection.  It's a great way to get your veggies in, and there are tons of possibilities.

I used to ignore Butternut in the produce aisle but now we have kind of a Thing going on, seeing as how it costs less than $2 and lends itself really well to whatever spice you pair it with.  I've tried a few different recipes and came up with this one after a few tweaks.  (Some people like to roast their squash in the oven first, but I just prefer to cook mine in the pot because it's a little quicker.)  I try to make a big batch and freeze smaller portions in 1-quart bags for quick lunches and side dishes later in the month.

Savory Butternut Squash Soup

1 large butternut squash, peeled and cubed* 
1 onion, roughly chopped 
3-4 garlic cloves, smashed
1 tsp of dried thyme or sage 
1 tsp salt
2 cups chicken or vegetable stock
1/3 cup half and half (or heavy cream, or milk, whatever you have in the fridge.  Or you can forgo this, but why?)

*Remember, the smaller the chunks, the faster it will cook.  But it doesn't have to be pretty!  Everything is getting blended so hack that thing up and forget about it

Heat 1 tbs of butter or olive oil in a heavy pot over medium heat.  Add the onion first and cook until softened, about 4 minutes, then add the garlic.  Cook for just 1 minute more (so the garlic doesn't burn).  Add the thyme or sage along with the butternut squash and cook a few more minutes, until the squash is coated with the herbs and onions.  Maybe yours will look something like this

Next add the chicken stock, cover, and simmer about 20 minutes.  (Clean the rest of the kitchen.  Facebook something.  Intercept baby from making a beeline to dog's water bowl for 349th time.)  After 20 minutes, remove from heat and cool for a few moments.  Pour into the blender and just blend that sheet up.  Return to pot and add the cream for maximal swirly effect.

This pairs excellently with a rotisserie chicken and a loaf of rosemary bread (both from Costco, obvi).  It also gets raves reviews from my husband and the bebe, who slurps this up even when I throw in a dash of cayenne (the Free Range Fam likes it spicy!).  Even the chickens love some butternut scraps.  Win win win.