A Gilt Nutmeg

I can’t lie, I considered skipping this week’s Project Pastry Queen assignment.  I have a go-to recipe for Butternut Squash soup that I created myself and I just can’t bear to leave it behind.  That said, I’m glad I gave this one a try because it certainly gave my normal recipe a run for its money!

I had just come back from a weekend trip away so I wasn’t particularly looking forward to standing over a hot stove, but  it’s soup so it’s a cinch to throw together and let simmer while you take a disco nap in the hopes that you can sort of maybe catch up on the rest you didn’t catch up on over the weekend because you were having too much fun.  I don’t know why I always think soup is a long complicated process so I shouldn’t hesitate in the future.

This soup is a great recipe to keep for a cool Fall evening-the spices will warm you right up!

Note: 1 1/2 lbs of butternut squash is a relatively small squash compared to what I normally see at the grocery store.  Either make sure to get one that’s close (I had to do a 2 pounder), make a double batch of soup, or save the extra squash for something else, like Butternut Squash Risotto (my first recipe on the blog ever!)

Curried Butternut Squash Soup
adapted from The Pastry Queen, by Rebecca Rather
serves 4 to 6

• 2 Tbs unsalted butter or olive oil
• 1/2 medium yellow onion, chopped
• 1 large carrot, peeled and sliced
• 1 1/2 lbs butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cubed
• 1 medium russet potato, peeled and cubed
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 1/2 Tbs curry powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 cups chicken stock
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1 tsp honey
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Greek yogurt, for garnish

1. Melt the butter in a large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium-high heat.  Add the onion and carrot and saute over medium heat for about 3 minutes, or until the onions begin to soften.
2. Add the squash potato, ginger, cinnamon, curry powder, and salt;  Saute for 2 minutes.
3. Add the stock, milk, cream, honey, and paprika and bring the soup to a boil.
4. Decrease the heat, cover the pot, and simmer the soup over low heat for about 45 minutes, or until the vegetables are soft.
5. Puree the soup with a stick blender (what? you don’t have one yet?!) until smooth.
6. Add black pepper and additional salt to taste.  If the soup seems too thick, add more milk or chicken stock.
7. Serve hot with a dollop of Greek yogurt on top-it adds a wonderful tangy flavor!