Butternut Squash Soup Recipe

Ingredients

1 medium-large butternut squash

1 medium onion, chopped
4 tbs butter
6 cups top quality chicken broth
salt as needed (top quality such as sea salt or himalayan)
fresh nutmeg
heavy cream

Procedure

1. Cut the squash in half lengthwise and remove the seeds

2. Place the squash halves cut-side up on a baking sheet and bake at 350 for 1 hour
3. Peel the squash and cut into large cubes
4. In a 6-8 quart pot, melt the butter and saute the onion over medium heat, stirring
occasionally, until soft but not brown, about 5 minutes
5. Add the squash and the chicken broth, bring to a boil, and simmer for 15 minutes
6. If a food mill is available, using a slotted spoon, remove the solids from the soup and run
them through the mill to create a smooth puree, then run some (or all) of the remaining
broth through the mill, stopping to stir the soup occasionally to test the consistency. The
amount of broth used depends on the size of the squash. There is an optimal
consistency for pureed vegetable soup which is neither thick (like mashed potatoes) or
thin (like milk). Add enough broth to achieve this consistency. The best way to test it is
to transfer some soup to a small bowl and then try a spoonful. Try to not add too much
broth and make the soup too thin. If there wasn’t enough broth in the pot, add water or
additional broth as necessary.
7. If a food mill is not available, use a blender or food processor to achieve the same result
as described above.
8. Put the pureed soup back in the pot and add salt as required. If the chicken broth was
salted, only a small amount of salt may be necessary. If the chicken broth was not
salted, about 1.5 or 2 teaspoons of salt will be about right. It’s best to add a little salt at
a time, stirring well, and then tasting the soup, repeating until it tastes correct.
9. When it’s time to serve the soup, reheat over low heat until boiling, stirring occasionally.
10. Ladle the soup into bowls, and garnish with about 1 tablespoon of heavy cream per
bowl. Pour the cream in the center of the soup and using a spoon do a quick swirl to
make a pattern.
11. Grate fresh nutmeg over each bowl and serve.

NOTE: Something thicker than heavy cream (such as a mixture of sour cream and
heavy cream) would make a better swirl pattern in the soup.