Roasted Squash Soup
Ingredients
- 1 butternut squash , halved and seeds removed
- 1 small onion , diced
- 1 stalk celery , diced
- 1 clove garlic , minced
- butter or oil for sautéing
- 3-4 C vegetable or chicken stock
- a bouquet garni or thyme, sage and parsley
- 1-2 heaping T apricot or peach preserves
- 1 jar Pam's salsa (or any other salsa), choose your heat
- sea salt and freshly cracked pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350°F. Place the squash halves, cut side down, on a baking sheet and bake until fork tender. Remove from oven.
- While the squash cools, sauté the onion, celery and garlic in a bit of oil or butter until tender. Scoop the squash out of the peel into the sauté mixture (or peel the squash and dice it before you add it) and sauté for about 2 minutes on medium heat.
- Deglaze the pan with about a cup of the stock and scrape up all of the tasty bits from the bottom of the pan into the soupy mix. Add 2 more cups of stock and the bouquet garni (yeah, look that up — it’s a handy thing to know). Simmer for about 15–20 minutes or until all of the veggies are nice and soft and falling apart a little. Remove the garni.
- Take your stick blender (best $15 you’ll spend in the kitchen — trust me) and blend it smooth in the pan or pour it into a regular blender to blend smooth. Return to low heat and add salsa (start with 1/4 jar and add to your taste), preserves, salt and pepper to taste. If it’s too thick, add the remaining stock. Blend again and adjust your seasonings. Heat to eating temp and eat up!
- Fancy version: swirl a little sour cream on top of the soup with a sprinkle of chopped chives and/or cilantro.