“You have a food blog?” Yes, and I start updating it, and then I get pregnant and stop cooking due to nonstop vomiting, and then it’s summer (too hot for most soup), and then I’m busy with a newborn/toddler. Rinse and repeat.
But, I made soup today, and I’m delighted to share it with you. I’m going to stop cooking again in about a month (due 10-10), but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t have some butternut squash available so you can enjoy this soup all autumn.
This soup is about as low-maintenance as they come. The lovely thing about butternut squash is that you can soupify it in all sorts of ways and it still tastes amazing. I started with this recipe as my base and then adjusted it according to what sounded good and what I had on hand.
Butternut Squash Soup in the Crockpot
1 medium/large butternut squash
1/2 yellow onion
4 tablespoons butter (1/2 stick)
1/2 apple (any kind will do, though people often use granny smith; I used gala)
1/2 tsp dried sage (or more to taste; I LOVE sage)
1/8 tsp cayenne
3 cups chicken stock
1/2 brick (4 oz) cream cheese
salt and pepper to taste
Instructions:
Place the butter and the onion (chopped) in the bottom of your crockpot and turn the crockpot on high. Wash the squash, cut it in half lengthwise, scoop out the seeds and then cut again width-wise. Add the 4 pieces of squash to the crockpot cut-side down (or facing the sides). Add peeled, chopped apple chunks over the top of the squash. Put the lid on your pot and let it cook for a few hours (3 or 4), until the onions are lightly browned and the squash is soft and possibly browning where it is in contact with the pot. (This is my lazy approximation of lightly caramelizing the onions and roasting the squash … it’s cooling off here, but not enough to roast a squash in my oven mid-day!)
When your squash is cooked, take it out of the crockpot with tongs and let it cool on a cutting board until it is cool enough to handle. Scoop out the flesh and add it back to the crockpot. Add sage, cayenne, salt and pepper. If you’re like me, you did this when your toddler was distracted in the morning, so you can let it sit in the crockpot on your counter for a few hours. If you’re not like me, this is the time when you add the chicken stock and let the soup simmer on low for an hour or two. About 30 minutes before serving, add the cream cheese and when it is warm/melted, puree the soup either in the blender (using small batches and being very careful because hot liquid and blenders are a dangerous combo) or with an immersion/stick blender (seriously, everybody should have one of these). Add the cream cheese and stir well when it is warm/melted.
Serve the soup with a garnish of your choice. I dabbed about a teaspoon of goat cheese on top of ours and served the soup with quesadillas filled with grilled chicken, goat cheese, caramelized onions and a basalmic reduction drizzle. Why, yes, they were delicious, and when we finished the meal with apple crisp made from apples I picked off of our tree today, it was a perfect autumn meal.
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