Creamy Butternut Squash Soup

Creamy, silky smooth and bursting with soul satisfying flavors, this simple butternut squash soup recipe will be your next favorite soup.  I guarantee!

From a new inspiring cookbook, Soups; Includes Delicious Recipes for Appetizers and Salads, I picked up this book for Christmas. "Wow!" This book is loaded with incredible meals. FULL of recipes from different cuisines.  There's no chance of us falling into the same old routine.
I haven't noticed any labor intensive recipes. For folks that enjoy taking the time to create fresh soups, there's nothing hard or laborious here. The book offers inspiration for combining flavors that might be out of the norm, but the results really hit the spot. Plenty of family friendly recipes as well as recipes for folks looking for a new twist.
My favorite part of this book, besides the recipes themselves, is the formatting. Step-by-step color photos and easy to read/follow instructions for every recipe. There's no guessing as to whether we're doing it right.
Yep, this one is a keeper for years to come.  You can be sure to see recipes from this book here on SDR.

HERE'S ALL IT TAKES TO MAKE Creamy Butternut Squash Soup
Serves 4

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 pound butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cubed
• 5 cups chicken stock
• 1 cup potatoes, cubed
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 cup whipping cream
• 1 1/2 tablespoon fresh chopped chives
• salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

In a dutch-oven or large soup pot over medium heat, melt the butter, add the onions and cook for 5 minutes, until onions have softened.

Add the squash, chicken stock, potatoes and paprika.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to low, cover the pan and simmer gently for 25 to 35 minutes, until all the vegetables are soft.

Using either a drink blender or an immersion stick blender, process until smooth.  Return soup to the pan and stir in the cream.  Season with salt and pepper.  Reheat gently.  Stir in chopped chives or allow folks to add them to their  own bowls.

COOK'S NOTES:
I used russet potatoes in this soup, but the recipe would work with a less starchy spud like a red potato.

I was shy on chicken stock and ended up using 3 cups chicken stocks with 2 cups water.  The soup still had a lot of flavor despite my shortage.  Just for the sake of making it a budget friendly recipe, I would prepare it that way again.

I just happen to have had whipping cream on hand, so I used it.  In future, I could use half-n-half or fresh whole milk and the recipe would still come out creamy and satisfying.

WARNING
YOU WON'T BE ABLE TO CONSUME JUST ONE BOWL.  You'll have two. Also, I recommend skipping the bowl and spoon and pour this soup into a latte cup or coffee mug and just slurp it down.

It's a perfect soup to take to work; heat and eat at your desk. Not that I advocate you working through your lunch break, but let's be truthful.  We all have days when it's necessary.  Take this soup with you on those days and at least you'll have a happy tummy while you knock out your to-do list.

Support SDR and grab your copy of this book from Amazon.

Soups; Includes Delicious Recipes for Appetizers and Salads

This recipe is for friends and readers of SDR who asked for more soup recipes. Thank you.
Peter from Kalafagas, Greek Food & Beyond
Suzanne
Sarah B.
Heather S.
Cara A. from The Picky Apple
Theresa K.
Bob S.
Deby
Betty P.
Debbie F.
Mark B., Boscoe the Cookie Doctor
Cindy R.
Gregory P.
Barry W.
Claudene
Stacie H.

Simple Butternut Squash Breakfast Muffins

These simple butternut squash breakfast muffins are SO EASY to make- 25 min. to roast the squash + 20 min. to bake the muffins-YOU ARE READY TO EAT!

If you enjoy eating pumpkin and sweet potatoes, then there's no reason for you not to use butternut squash, too.  The taste of roasted butternut squash lingers between these two gourds. I believe that where ever a recipes calls for either pumpkin or sweet potatoes, you could definitely substitute with butternut squash.

The other day, I baked up a batch of Pumpkin Cranberry Muffins and they were VERY GOOD!  I've been working on a healthy, energy boosting, breakfast muffin that will keep us going to lunch time.

I believe this is THE RECIPE.

These butternut squash muffins becomes sweeter and moister the longer they sit out.  After they have cooled, store them in a resealable container and be ready for the most scrumptous treats.  Let's get baking, shall we?

HERE'S WHAT YOU NEED

• 1 small (7 inch long) butternut squash
• canola oil

Preheat oven to 400F degrees. Use whatever nonstick pan you have that will fit the squash.  Pour a tablespoon or two of oil in the pan to create a thin film. Cut the butternut squash in half, scoop out the seeds (save them for roasting, too), and place each half flesh-side down. Bake squash until VERY tender, 25 to 35 minutes.  Allow to cool enough to handle.  The skin will easily come off without a mess.

dry ingredients

• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 cup old fashion oats, coarsely ground
• 3/4 cups brown sugar
• 1/2 cup old fashion oats, left whole
• 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup chopped pecans
• 1/4 cup dried cranberries, rehydrated in warm water
• 1/4 cup golden raisins, rehydrated in warm water

wet ingredients

• 1 1/4 cup roasted butternut squash
• 1/2 cup healthy egg substitute or 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup all natural applesauce or canola oil
• 1/4 cup orange juice or water

Set oven to 350ºF degrees.  Grease and flour 12 count muffin pan.

Baking tip for the dried cranberries & raisins.
Place the cranberries and raisins in a microwave safe bowl and cover with warm water.  Microwave on HIGH for 1 minute.  This is a speedy way to rehydrate the dried fruit. Drain off the water from the dried fruit.  The rehydrated fruit won't burn when it's exposed at the top of the baked item.

Run that first cup of old fashion oats in a 1 cup food processor until it's ground to a coarse cornmeal consistency. (We working to raise the level of soluble fiber while retaining a tender texture.)

In a large mixing bowl, combine ALL the dry ingredients, along with the pecans, rehydrated cranberries and raisins.  Mix well.

In a small bowl, stir together all the wet ingredients. The squash should be so tender that it stirs into the wet ingredients easily.  If you happen to have a firm squash, then give it a spin with a mixer or food processor until it is smooth.

Always adding the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, use a rubber spatula and fold the wet into the dry ingredients.  Do not over mix here.  Go slowly allowing the flour a chance to absorb the moisture. Make sure all the flour is moisten.

Use either a 2 inch scooper or a large spoon to fill the muffin pan.  I filled each muffin cup to the top.  These are dense muffins so you can sorta heap the batter.

BAKE for 20-25 minutes.

No matter how you slice it, this is a VERY GOOD breakfast to take on the go or sit down and enjoy with your morning cup of Joe.

Toasted Butternut Squash Seeds

I was prepping a butternut squash and couldn’t bare to toss the seeds.  Especially after the experience of toasting the pumpkin seeds, I couldn’t help wonder if the butternut seeds would be any different or the same. I also wondered why we don’t already eat butternut squash seeds.

So I followed the Roasted Pumpkin Seeds recipe.  I did the same cleaning steps, baking temperature, salted the heck out of them, but only baked them for 5 minutes.

Be warned, they POP!  I think my temperature was a little high. I’m going to knock it back to 300º with this next batch.

To answer my own questions:
Is there any difference?
YES OH YES they ARE tastier than pumpkin seeds! Way better.

Why is it that we don’t eat them all the time already?
I'm guessing it's because we don’t get that many to eat from one squash.

But you know what?  From here on out, I’m taking the extra steps.  It only takes a couple of minutes to heat up the oven and it only takes a minute to rinse them off and salt them down.  AND, And it only takes 5 minutes to toast up this very delicious, overlooked snack!

We have been missing out folks! Well, I.  I've been missing out.

Maybe you’ve known this all along and you were just keeping this secret to yourself.
Is that it?  Is that how you like to play? Oh, I see how it is.  ; )

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

First I want to thank my dear friends, without them this post would not be here.

To Kim, for text messaging me and putting me up to the challenge of roasting pumpkin seeds.  To Kelly of Sass & Veracity and Judy of No Fear Entertaining for answering my call for help on Twitter.

Kelly, your EXTREMELY SIMPLE technique was SPOT ON! Thank you, thank you.

So, let's get down to thrashing a pumpkin for its seeds.

First, cut out the top of pumpkin.  Look at the stringy, web-like action going on in there.  This is where I discover another place God is so COOL! Look at that beautiful creamy orange color. The center mass looks like an explosion and the seeds are just hangin' out on the sides.  There are so many hidden places where God tucks His coolest artwork.

Next, get a couple of cool kids that drive you crazy from time to time.  Tell them you've got something REALLY COOL to show them, but first! they have to close their eyes.  Guide their arms over the pumpkin opening, then tell them "Dig down for the surprise!" (Be sure to have your camera ready, teeheehee)

After you have them scrape the seeds out into a bowl on the side, then let them go to town carving it up. Don't try to tell them how to do it, they "KNOW ALREADY."

As for the seeds, fill a large bowl with water and give the seeds a good swishin' around.  The stringy stuff sinks to the bottom and the seeds float.  Proceed to skim the seeds off the top with your hands and move them to a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.  Allow them to dry just a bit and they'll get sticky.

Now in Kelly's words, "Salt the heck out of them." I used table salt.

Heat the oven to 350F degrees.
Kelly's directions: "Bake, stir, bake, stir - golden, done. Eat."

Simple and very accurate.  It doesn't sound like enough information, but it doesn't take any time at all to roast pumpkin seeds.  It might have taken 7 to 10 minutes and 10 minutes is pushing it.  I set the timer for 5 minutes, then came back to stir them.  They were already tanning up very well.  I gave them one stir with a spatula and stood there a couple of minutes and they were done.

I immediately moved the seeds off the sheet and allowed them to cool.

Just beautiful.  They even tasted brown.

Butternut Squash Chili

Being completely honest here, I wasn't too sure about this recipe.  I've been experimenting with new flavors on my family and it's been hit and miss.  Naturally, I spare you of my misses and only post recipes that go over well.  If my family tells me they wouldn't ask for it, it doesn't make it to this blog.  So, with that being said, this recipe is a winner!

The original recipe was torn out of a Southern Living magazine some time last year.  Butternut squash is a totally new flavor for us.  I had no idea it was so good, mainly because I didn't know how to use it.  Last night, I had more butternut squash than the recipe called for, so I baked the rest in a little butter, brown sugar and cinnamon.  It was similar to eating candied sweet potatoes.  Raw, it tastes like an orange gourd until the end when it reminds me of watermelon.  Not the sweet part, but that grassy taste near the rind.  It's not bad at all raw.  If I were on some desperate to lose weight raw diet, I would eat it.  Am I being too honest here? Let's get on with Butternut Squash Chili recipe, shall we?

The original recipe calls for cooking lean ground beef and bell pepper in a dutch oven first, before adding all the rest of the ingredients.  I was out of ground beef, so I left it out.  It was still very filling, says my husband.

HERE'S WHAT YOU SEE IN THE PICTURE

• 1 small onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 (15 oz.) can Mexican style stewed tomatoes
• 1 (16 oz.) can dark kidney beans
• 1/2 small butternut squash, peeled & cubed to make 1 1/2 cups
• 1 cup beef broth
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 cup frozen corn

Cook onion in a little oil in a large pot until translucent.  Add in tomatoes with their juices, beans, squash, broth and spices; bring to a boil over medium high heat.  Cover, reduce heat to medium low, and simmer, stirring occasionally, 15 minutes.  Stir in corn, recover, and cook 15 minutes or until squash is tender and chili is thickened.  The soup thickens after it cools down.