Sass-squash

The sweetness of this butternut squash soup is balanced by a kick of cayenne pepper and ginger.  It's kind of the Sookie Stackhouse of soup.


OK, let's do this:

Spicy Butternut Squash Soup
Makes 8-10 servings
Hands on time 20 minutes, cook time 45 minutes

1/4 t cayenne pepper
1/4 t ground cinnamon
1/4 t garam masala
1 T dried thyme
1 T dried sage
1/4 c olive oil


1 medium butternut squash
2 medium shallots diced
2 stalks celery, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
1 apple, cored and chopped
1 pear, cored and copped
1 1/2 inch ginger, peeled, minced
4-6 cups of veggie broth
Juice from 1/2 an orange
Salt, to taste
2 T maple syrup
1/4 cup heavy cream (optional)

Preheat the oven to 425ºF

Combine the spices and olive oil in a bowl.

Carefully peel the butternut squash.  Hold it firmly and slice off the ends so you have a flat edge.  Place a flat edge down and carefully slice the squash lengthwise.  Use a spoon to scoop the seeds and stringy pulp out and discard it.  That was the hardest part of this whole recipe.  Go have a drink.  You've earned it.

Chop the squash into 1 inch-ish chunks.  It's best to keep the pieces about the same size so they roast in the same amount of time.

Toss the squash chunks in half of the oil/spice blend, then spread the pieces on baking sheets lined with parchment paper.  Roast at 425ºF until pieces are tender - about 35 minutes.

While the squash is roasting, heat the remaining spice-oil in a large stock pot.  Add the shallots and brown them.  Add the carrots and celery and sauté them for 3 minutes or so.  Add the apple, pear and ginger and sauté for another 5 minutes, stirring once in a while.

Add the broth, cover and reduce the heat.  Allow to simmer until carrots are soft, then turn off the heat and stir in the roasted squash chunks.  Transfer the chunky soup to a food processor in small batches and process until smooth.

Add the orange juice, maple syrup and cream (if using) and adjust seasoning.

Wanna make it FANCY?!

Try this:

Slice off a few rings of shallots or grab a couple fresh sage leaves.  Toss them in some flour and fry them in just enough hot oil that they float a little.  They'll get nice and crispy plus they'll look really cool, and so will you.