Tuesday, September 20, 2011

Operation Fill the Freezer- Roasted Butternut Squash and Zucchini soup

I could eat soup year round. This soup is hearty and I typically make this in the fall/winter.  I have posted this recipe before, but it’s so good, it’s worth repeating.

It was a recipe I made by accident, so feel free to add more roasted veggies or spices if you like.

You’ll need:

  • Butternut Squash
  • Zucchini
  • 2 cooking onions
  • Chicken stock- homemade or prepared; substitute veggie stock if you prefer
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • olive oil
  • Immersion or standard blender

You can play with the ration of squash to zucchini to suit your taste.  I wanted this batch to be more squash-y (humour me) so I had one squash to two zucchini.

Cut the zucchini and 1 onion into small pieces, no need to mince them, but try to keep them evenly sized so they cook at the same rate. Place in baking dish and drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper.  Just remember that zucchini gets peppery when it cooks, so better to under-season than over-season at this point. You can always add more later

Cut your squash, scoop out the seeds and place in baking dish. Drizzle with olive oil and salt and pepper.  I score the squash so it’s easier to peel the skin off once it’s cooked.  Typically I buy the pre-cut and peeled squash, but my supermarket didn’t have any.  This saves one step, as well as cutting the squash, which always makes me nervous because the rind is thick.  Be careful and take your time.

Roast the veggies in a 400F oven until cooked. The zucchini and onions will cook first (that’s why I keep them in a separate pan), about 20 minutes.  The squash, depending on the size can take 30-40 minutes. Just check with a fork, when it’s tender, it’s done. 

See all those caramel-y bits on the onions? that’s what you want.

 

Let the squash cool a bit so you can peel it.  The skin should come off quite easily, but you may have to get your fingers dirty to make sure you get as much squash off the skin as possible.

 

 

Chop the 2nd onion and saute with about 1 tbsp of olive oil in your soup pot, until tender.

Put the cooked veggies into a large pot and cover with your broth.  I was using homemade chicken stock, so I also added a chicken bouillion for some extra flavour.  Because I’ve made this soup quite often, I know that if I just cover the veggies with the broth, it’s the right thickness for me.  As I mentioned, this is a recipe I made up, stumbling upon by accident, so I don’t have any measurements.  If you’re worried about thickness, start with less stock, and you can add to it when you blend it until you get a consistency you like.  You’ll just have to let it simmer after you blend it, so all the flavours come together with the added stock.

 

Let the veggies and stock simmer; the longer the better.  I usually let it simmer for about 45 minutes, but always no less than 30 minutes.   When your soup is done simmering, transfer to a blender, or use an immersion blender to puree the veggies.  This is where you can adjust the consistency of the soup by adding more stock if it’s too thick for your liking. Puree until smooth.

 

By now you will be overcome with the deliciousness of the smells in your kitchen, so pour yourself a tiny bowl to enjoy before you portion the soup for the freezer.  If you’re feeling extra special, serve with a dollop of sour cream.

Enjoy! 

 

Come back tomorrow for another recipe as Operation Fill the Freezer continues!

 

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