Savory Butternut Squash Soup

Several years ago, I asked my roommate if she had ever had butternut squash soup. Having grown up in the North, I wasn't sure which foods were commonly eaten in the North that weren't eaten in the South. She had not tried the soup before, but that did not stop her. We found a great recipe in a magazine that we both liked very much. Over the years, we have made some changes to customize it to our personal preferences, making it a bit thicker and more savory. Now we have a fall staple that we enjoy as long as our grocery store stocks butternut squash.

Savory Butternut Squash Soup

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 55 minutes

Serves 6-8

Ingredients:

• 1 large bell-shaped butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 2" chunks
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2-3 leeks, quartered and sliced into thin strips, and washed thouroughly
• salt
• 5 cups vegetable broth
• 1/2 tsp ground thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• Pinch of cayenne

Instructions:

1. Place squash in a microwave safe dish, cover and microwave until it is easily pierced by a knife, 15-20 minutes. Remove the squash from the microwave and set aside. If you don't like to use or don't have a microwave, you can toss the squash in 2 tbs of olive oil and roast on a parchment lined baking sheet at 425 F for 45 to 60 minutes. 
2. Heat the oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the squash, leek, and 1 tsp salt, stirring occasionally, until the squash starts to break down and a brown frond starts to form in the bottom of the pot, 10 to 12 minutes. 
3. Add half of the broth and loosen the frond by scraping the bottom of the pot. Add the remaining broth, thyme, bay leaf, and cayenne. Lower the heat to medium and simmer until the leeks are fully tender, 7 to 10 minutes.
4. Remove the bay leaf and process the soup in small batches. Return the processed soup to the pot and simmer to heat through. Add additional broth or water to thin the soup, if you prefer a thinner soup. Add salt and pepper to taste.