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Squash (Butternut / Pumpkin) Soup

 One of my fall favorites is simple butternut soup. I often just keep a box of it in stock in the pantry. After looking for a good homemade version - This was so delicious! It was a post by Cecilia Tolone on Insta.

If you are pressed for time, you can easily substitute with canned squash. Look for the freshest squash when you have the time, it really makes a difference in the flavors. 

The amounts in the recipe are general recommendations since the size of squash varies. I used a medium butternut, about 25 cm/10 inches. I would use a bit smaller pumpkin.

Peel, seed, slice and cube your squash. 

Drizzle a shallow baking dish with olive oil and put the squash in. Salt the squash lightly and place 4-5 dabs/tsps of butter on top. Cover with lid or foil. 

Bake at 390º F / 200º C for about 30 minutes - so you can easily pierce it with a fork.

While the squash bakes, chop a 1/2 a medium onion and 3 medium carrots into matching sizes - doesn't matter as they will be cooked and puréed.

Drizzle the pan with olive oil and 1 T of butter. Sauté the onions and carrots until they are tender to a fork. Add about 4 cups of chicken stock (enough that it will cover all the ingredients when you add the squash, add more or less as needed). Bring to a simmer then cover and turn off heat to wait for the squash. 

When squash is tender, add to pot and turn on heat again to simmer. Add about 1 T sage, 1 t rosemary and 1 t cinnamon and a generous amount of pepper. Purée with hand blender and add a dash or two of heavy cream. Enjoy!

If you prefer the soup to thicken, simply simmer a little longer. 

We ate it with rye and sourdough breads. It was very filling.

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