I was 32 when I started cooking; up until then, I just ate. --Julia Child
Buttercup Squash Soup
2lb of buttercup squash (you'll want 2-3 cups of squash for this recipe)
Olive oil
Kosher salt
Ground nutmeg
2 TBS butter
1/2 Lg. yellow onion
3 TBS Calvados
Cinnamon
Ground ginger
Ground nutmeg
1 cup chicken stock
1/2 cup heavy cream
To do:
Rinse the squash, cut off stem and cut into uniform pieces (no bigger than a pie slice). Coat the pieces with olive oil, salt and a pinch of nutmeg and roast in a 375 degree oven for about an hour or so, until soft.
While you're waiting for the squash to finish roasting, slice half of a large yellow onion into thin pieces and add to a pan with 2 TBS of butter. Cook until soft, but don't let them color -- you want them to be translucent. Add 3 TBS of Calvados or brandy and cook until the liquid has reduced by half. Stir in a dash of ground cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg, and a couple pinches of kosher salt. Remove from heat.
When the squash is ready let it cool, then remove the skins and place the squash in a large soup pot. Add the onions. Using an immersion blender, slowly pulverize the squash and onions into a lovely puree. Then, stir in half the stock and cream and blend until smooth. (You can also do this in a blender or food processor). Adjust seasonings to taste (a bit more salt or nutmeg perhaps) and then add the rest of the stock and cream in small amounts, until you have your desired consistency for the soup. (This may mean you have to add a bit more than a cup of stock, etc.)
Ladle into big bowls and serve with hot crusty bread with a smear of fresh goat cheese.
YUM.
xoxoxo
Buttercup Squash