Butternut Squash and Sweet Potato Soup
By Jennifer Segal
Metrocurean contributor, onceuponachef.com
Butternut squash and sweet potatoes are a natural combination. Here I’ve
added a touch of honey, a tart apple and warm spices to bring out their
natural sweetness. It’s surprisingly easy to make — you barely
have to measure and it comes out gorgeously perfect every time. The
hardest part is wrestling with your butternut squash, so don’t even
bother if you don't want to. Most grocers sell butternut squash pre-cut, so use that instead.
This is just the thing to get you through the final stretch of winter. Enjoy!
Butternut Squash and Sweet Potato Soup
serves 6 to 8
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 cups roughly chopped onions
6 cups (about 2 pounds) butternut squash, peeled, seeded and diced into 1-inch pieces
3 cups (about 1 pound) sweet potatoes, peeled and diced into 1-inch pieces
8 cups (64 ounces) chicken stock
1 ½ teaspoons salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tart-yet-sweet apple, cored, peeled and diced into ½-inch pieces
3 tablespoons honey
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground mace
? teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 cup heavy cream
Melt butter in large pot. Add onions and cook over medium-low heat until soft and translucent.
Add butternut squash, sweet potatoes, chicken stock, salt and pepper to
pot. Turn heat to high and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and
cook until vegetables are very tender, about 15 minutes. Turn off heat.
Add diced apple to pot and puree soup with a handheld immersion blender
until very smooth and creamy. (Alternatively, use a standard blender to
puree soup in batches, being careful not to fill the jar more than
halfway. Leave the hole in the lid open and loosely cover with a dish
towel to allow the heat to escape. Pour blended soup into a clean pot.)
Add
honey, cinnamon, mace, nutmeg and heavy cream and stir. Bring to a
simmer. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. If you like a sweeter
soup, add more honey. For a thinner soup, stir in a bit of water; to
thicken, simmer and stir over low heat.
* This soup thickens as it sits. To reheat, add a bit of water to thin it back to desired consistency.
See how to prep a butternut squash on Once Upon a Chef.
Jennifer Segal is the founder and publisher of Once Upon a Chef,
a cooking blog featuring easy and elegant recipes. Before launching her
blog, Jennifer earned her culinary stripes working front and back of
the house at some of DC's top fine dining restaurants, including
L'Auberge Chez Francois, Sam & Harry's and The Caucus Room.
She has also done private catering and restaurant public relations.
Jennifer is a graduate of the professional Culinary Arts Program at
L'Academie de Cuisine.
By Jennifer Segal
Metrocurean contributor, onceuponachef.com
Jennifer Segal is the founder and publisher of Once Upon a Chef,
a cooking blog featuring easy and elegant recipes. Before launching her
blog, Jennifer earned her culinary stripes working front and back of
the house at some of DC's top fine dining restaurants, including
L'Auberge Chez Francois, Sam & Harry's and The Caucus Room.
She has also done private catering and restaurant public relations.
Jennifer is a graduate of the professional Culinary Arts Program at
L'Academie de Cuisine.
Jennifer Segal is the founder and publisher of Once Upon a Chef,
a cooking blog featuring easy and elegant recipes. Before launching her
blog, Jennifer earned her culinary stripes working front and back of
the house at some of DC's top fine dining restaurants, including
L'Auberge Chez Francois, Sam & Harry's and The Caucus Room.
She has also done private catering and restaurant public relations.
Jennifer is a graduate of the professional Culinary Arts Program at
L'Academie de Cuisine.