Ali's Kitchen: Butternut Squash Soup

An instant crowd-pleaser that's healthy, flourless, velvety and sweet with hints of spice. I can't think of a better way to welcome Autumn, then to sit down to a warm steaming bowl of Butternut Squash Soup. Think of a velvety soup with layers of flavors, both sweet and savory, which only needs to be garnished with a scattering of sharp, smoked cheddar and a Macy's Cheese stick. The recipe is here! Your friends and family will be more than grateful to sit down at your table. Serve this alongside a grilled cheese or a warm Quinoa salad, and you will be in "pig heaven".

The recipe is quite simple. I will provide you with my baseline, and you may take liberty to make substitutions depending on your ingredients at hand or dietary considerations. The yield this recipe will provide will vary depending on the size of your vegetables, and of course the amount of liquid you add. I am usually able to get about three to four quarts, out of the recipe below if my squash is a good size. I will provide you with the levels of spices that I use, but it will vary depending on your yield. Use your taste buds as your guide. You can always add more spices and/or salt at the end, but you can't take away. Each batch is a little different, I find. Taste, you decide.

Ingredient List:

butternut squash (cubed)
2 shallots, sliced, or 1 onion, diced
1 apple (peeled, cored, diced)
2 carrots (peeled, sliced)
1 celery (sliced)
2 cloves garlic (minced)
6 cups of unsalted stock (vegetable/chicken or combination)
1/4 cup of white wine (optional, for deglazing)
1/2 cup of evaporated milk
2 Tbsp. of unsalted butter
1-2 Tbsp. of olive oil for roasting squash
1 Tbsp honey
2 tsp. of apple cider vinegar
2 tsp. of sugar (preferably sugar in the raw)
1 tsp. of cinnamon
1/2 tsp. of allspice
1/4 cayenne
salt and pepper to taste, be generous

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Peel and cube your butternut squash. Remove any seeds. Prepare sheet pan with foil for easy clean-up. Toss cubed butternut squash with 1-2 Tbsp of olive oil, and salt and pepper. Roast for 25 minutes.

While squash is roasting, prepare shallots, apple, carrots, celery and garlic for saute. Warm butter in a dutch oven. When melted add spices, cinnamon, allspice and cayenne to "bloom" with the butter. This will toast the spices and bring out the flavors. Once this is accomplished, add your shallots, apple, carrots, celery, two teaspoons of raw sugar. Saute for five minutes with medium heat, stirring frequently. If using, white wine for deglazing, add it now. You can also substitute apple cider if available. Use one quarter of a cup if choosing to deglaze. If not, just omit this step. Once your deglazing liquid evaporates to two Tbsp. add your six cups of stock. Bring to a simmer, than turn down heat to low and cover.

When squash is done roasting, remove it from the oven. You will carefully add your squash to your stock and vegetable mixture. Continue to simmer for twenty to thirty minutes, covered till the vegetables are nice and soft. Once done, let cool slightly before pureeing.

Puree your soup using an immersion blender, food processor or blender. Add one half a cup of evaporated milk to puree. Now, add plenty of salt and pepper with 2 teaspoons of cider vinegar and one tbsp. of honey. Now taste. Think about it. The soup should have enough salt to bring out the flavors, but not taste salty in any way. It should taste sweet, with a backdrop of heat. The cider vinegar should add a lemony note. Decide if the soup needs anything more.