Butternut Squash Soup, for Preeti (and Nell, and whoever!!!)

So, this time of year you begin to see "special" dishes show up in restaurants. Throughout Europe, particularly France and Italy, seasonal items make their appearance. In our modern American age of having just about every ingredient, from herbs, to spices, to produce and even wild game, available any time we like, it is nice to get back to the idea of cooking in season. Here in southern New Mexico, it's a bit of a stretch to discuss seasonal ingredients - we don't have the wild boar or mushrooms of France, the new olive oil and produce of Italy, or the freshly killed fall hams of Germany, but we can still do seasonal dishes.

Now one of the items that is coming into its own in gardens here is butternut squash. Restaurants across the country will soon be selling their Golden Squash Soup, "a delectible combination of fresh winter squash, herbs, and cream, an incredibly nuanced combination..." So anyway, even Campbells, with their new soup in a carton have gotten in on this. What strikes me though, is that this soup is really easy to make, costing a fraction of what you would pay in a restaurant, and, well, it's just really good.

The ingredients you need are 2 butternut squash, olive oil, butter, garlic, sage, red potatos, tomato paste (yep, I cheat!), and heavy cream - with salt and pepper to taste. It's really that simple, so let's begin.

Now if you have your own pick-it-yourself farm that has the squash, go there and get it. You will find that it is far better than the stuff from Walmart, Albertsons, etc. We get our produce from Lyle's Farm, on the western edge of town, and it's fantastic! So take two medium to large butternut squashes, halve them, scoop out the seeds, wrap in foil, and put into a 425 degree oven for AT LEAST 45 minutes, as you want the flesh to be very tender. Once the squash is done, you can proceed.You will also need to boil about 6 - 8 red potatoes, without skins, until they are tender.

You wil need two large cloves of garlic, chopped fine, with enough olive oil to cover them, and about two tablespoons of butter. Throw this into a pot (two quart or so, but a large stock pot works best!) and once the garlic is cooking, add about two cups of water or chicken stock. Now add the squash that you have scooped from the shells, making sure that the liquid covers it completely. Add your cooked potatoes, two tablespoons of tomato paste, and about a third of a cup of FRESH finely chopped sage. I guess you could add rubbed sage from a jar, but I really don't know how much. (Sage is easy to grow, and hardy, so put it in the garden!)

Now bring this mess to a boil, turn it down and simmer for about 40 minutes. You need to then puree it. You can use a "boat motor" or spoon it a bit at a time into a blender, whatever works. Once it's all pureed, bring it to a simmer again. Just before serving, add a pint of heavy cream, making sure it's incorporated fully. All you need to do now is serve. Fresh garlic croutons and fresh sage leaves on top add a nice touch.


An easy soup that tastes as good as anything from a fine restaurant. Perfect on a cold night with a loaf of crusty bread. Enjoy!!!!


Oh, a short note. Butternut, like all winter squash, can be kept for a long time. We have kept it in a cool garage for two months and had it cook up okay. So, if you can get it cheap, stock up, as there is a lot you can do with it - and additional recipes will be forthcoming!