Soup’s On!

I got tired of looking at Mr. Butternut. Like a house guest who had outstayed his welcome, the homely squash, purchased more than a week ago, no longer felt welcome in my kitchen.

It’s time for this vegetable to go bye-bye, I thought. So I turned the squash into soup.

I love soup for many reasons. On a cool September day, it’s the perfect thing to make for a side dish with dinner. For some reason, kids who push vegetables around on their plates feel differently about veggies when they are pureed and served in a bowl. My son, Jake, who’s 13, adores soup. I make it so he can get his vegetables and I can feel like a good mother.

I adapted the following recipe from the 2009 Thanksgiving issue of Good Housekeeping. I cut the recipe in half, substituted celery salt for celery and skipped the whole sage leaves which were used as garnishes. Really, who needs garnishes on Tuesday night? I also left out the croutons.

My immersion blender works like a charm when it comes to making soup. Give it a whirl if you happen to own one.

Butternut Squash Soup with Sage

Makes 6 servings

1 medium butternut squash, cut lengthwise in half, seeds removed

2 tbsp olive oil

Celery salt

1 small to medium sized yellow onion, thinly sliced

½ medium carrot, chopped

Dried thyme

1 bay leaf

Dried sage

3 cups of chicken broth (I used three-quarters of a 32-ounce carton of broth)

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a glass baking pan with foil. Place squash halves, cut sides down, in the pan and roast 45 minutes or until tender when pierced with a knife. Let the squash halves cool off so they’re easy to handle. Scoop the squash from the shells and place in a large bowl. Dump the shells.
2. Meanwhile, in a 5- to 6-quart saucepot, heat a tablespoon of oil on medium until hot. Add celery salt, onions and carrot. Cook for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in thyme, bay leaf, sage, salt and pepper to taste. Cook the mixture for two more minutes.
3. Add broth and squash to the pot. Cover and heat to boiling on high. Reduce heat to low. Simmer for 10 minutes.
4. Discard the bay leaf. Whip out your immersion blender and blend the mixture until pureed. Or if using a standard blender, blend the mixture in batches. Serve hot and enjoy.