butternut

Well, it's officially fall and you know what that means- soup.  Like for real, once a week, make any kind you want, soup.  In the summer, I try to limit my soup-making to about once a month and I only make soups that seem "summery".  It's an elaborate system I'm working with over here.

 

This week's soup is butternut squash, which I consider the ultimate fall soup.  It's basically like carving a pumpkin and then cooking it and blending it into soup.  Butternut squash soup is really easy to make and hardly requires any ingredients. 

 

First, cut a butternut squash in half length-wise and scoop out the seeds.  Put both pieces, cut sides up, in a shallow dish and roast in a 400 degree oven for 1 hour. 

 

While you enjoy the sweet aroma of roasting squash, chop up an onion. 

 

Saute the onion in a little bit of butter or oil until it's tender.  Scoop the flesh out of the roasted squash pieces and add it to the onion.  Then pour in 4 cups of broth and 1/2 cup roasted nuts.

 

Let this mixture simmer over medium low heat for about 30 minutes.  Then transfer about 1/4 of the soup to a blender and blend until smooth.  Pour the smooth soup back into the lumpy soup and keep transferring out portions and blending them until all the soup is fairly smooth. 

 

Stir in 1 cup cream or milk and season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg.  Bring the soup almost to a boil, then remove from heat. 

 

As you can see, I haven't even gotten my soup bowls out for the season.  Our house is in a real state of transition right now- it looks like fall, but also like summer and furniture is being moved from room to room.  One of our goals for the upcoming weekend is to put things right and settle in a bit more.  I'm wishing for my sewing space to be finished, but also enjoying the process of finding just the right pieces and colors to make it perfect. 

 

Today I have my ironing board set up in front of the living room window.  The oak tree in the front yard has started to change from green to orange and I love being able to keep an eye on it while I work.  I'm working on some more throw pillows for the shop and hope to have them finished by next week!