A quick meal on a chilly fall evening, butternut squash soup is the perfect easy weeknight dinner. Use pre-cut squash cubes from the market for even quicker turnaround, although roasting will give it a nice rich flavor. This is a great make ahead dinner.
- 3-4 pounds butternut squash, seeded & quartered
- Melted butter for brushing
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon ground white pepper
- 3 cups chicken or vegetable broth
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
- 1/2 cup heavy cream or half and half for a lighter touch
- 1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg for garnish.
Heat oven to 400 degrees. Brush the quartered squash with butter, sprinkle w/ the salt and pepper and roast for 30-35 minutes until soft and tender. Scoop the flesh into a 6-quart soup pot and add the broth, honey & ginger. Simmer 7-8 minutes over medium heat.
Remove from heat and allow to cool for about 5 minutes. Blend with a stick immersion blender or in batches in a blender. If using a blender, only fill each batch halfway and release one corner to prevent steam build up.
Stir in the heavy cream until blended. Serve with salt, pepper and nutmeg for garnish. You can round out dinner with a salad, or grilled cheese sandwiches.
