Butternut Squash Soup - butternut

Method

• Note about the veggie prep: Chop squash, onion, carrots, potatoes, and apples into pieces that are roughly 1-2 inches in size. To peel the squash, chop off 1/2" of the bottom and 1/2" of the top. Use a vegetable peeler to peel away the skin, which may take several passes, until the pale skin has been removed. Then, stand the squash on its end and slice it down the middle, leaving two halves. Scoop out the seeds in each half before slicing the halves into strips and ultimately into cubes.
• In a large pot (I use an 8-quart one), melt butter over medium heat. Add all of the chopped ingredients to the pot and cook for 5-6 minutes, stirring regularly. Pour in the chicken stock, using enough to cover the vegetables. Increase heat to high until the mixture comes to a boil, then cover the pot and reduce heat to medium. Allow to simmer for about 40 minutes or until the vegetables are tender.
• Remove the pot from the heat and ladle out about 2 cups of the stock and set it aside. If you have an immersion blender, blend the mixture in the pot until it is smooth and creamy. If you don't have an immersion blender, ladle the soup in batches into a blender or food processor, making sure that you have a couple of good ladles full of liquid in each batch. Blend until smooth and pour into a second pot until the whole mixture has been blended. Add as much of the reserved broth as you like to reach your desired consistency (I used about a cup).
• Add the seasonings to the pot and adjust to taste. I recommend starting with about half of all the measurements and adding more as desired. The measurements above reflect what I use and love. If needed you can heat it a bit more. Then dish the soup into your serving bowls.
• Spoon one dollop of sour cream on the top of each bowl just before serving. This soup makes fabulous leftovers and freezes well.
• Adapted from All Recipes & Monica B.