Butternut Squash and Carrot Soup

Butternut Squash and Carrot Soup - Seriously Soupy

In the beginning of this venture there is going to be a lot of "cheating." But, for this project I don't think "cheating" is necessarily a bad thing and I also never said that all of the soups that I post would be 100% never-made. Quite the opposite in fact, as I want to "perfect" the soups I know so well and then move on to more challenging soups.


Anyway, that being said yesterday I created an amazing (if I do say so myself) butternut squash and carrot soup. The only reason I say "cheating" is because I have created this soup many times in the past. In fact, it was weekly staple of winter 2008. The beauty of this soup, as with most soups is its ability to be interchanged with a variety of ingredients. You can substitute carrots for potatoes, or add mixed veggies, rice, pasta, etc to give it more substance. I personally think its great as is, but to soup his own. Enjoy!


Butternut Squash and Carrot Soup
Ingredients:
1 large butternut squash, peeled and cut into cubes or 2 bags of frozen butternut squash (I often use the frozen variety when the lazy days strike)
1 cup of water
1 cup of heavy cream, optional
1 cup of chicken broth
1 bag of carrots, shredded and cut up
1/2 of a red onion, cut up
1 clove of garlic, finely chopped up
1 tablespoon of nutmeg
1 tablespoon of cinnamon
Pinch of salt and pepper


Directions:
Pour broth and water in a large soup pot. Bring to a slight boil and add onions, garlic, salt and pepper. Add butternut squash cubes and carrots. Add heavy cream during the last 10-15 minutes and then cinnamon and nutmeg. Since I don't measure (stubborn or stupid) I can't tell you how much to add. I added about a tablespoon or each, which added a rather nice taste. Your best would be to add a little less and keep trying until the soup meets your standards. After an hour of cooking, the soup is ready and should be mixed together with a hand blender. This will create a thick consistency as all the onion, carrot, and butternut squash bits blend together, perfectly.

Approximate cooking time: 1-1 1/2 hour.


Seriously Soupy Serena
P.S. I had leftover rice and asparagus, so that is why that is included in the picture.