Butternut Squash Soup —straight from the pumpkin farm
At our house, butternut squash soup is to winter what gazpacho is to summer: it’s always available. That’s why I still can’t believe this recipe wasn’t on Mama Ía blog yet. There are so many recipes still waiting to be posted!
Walking through pumpkins at Hilger Family Farm
We are deep into the season of fall, and with that, butternut squash soup can be found on my stove, in my fridge and in my freezer (yes, it freezes wonderfully!). There’s nothing like a hot, velvety bowl of steaming butternut squash soup at this time of year, with a hint of cumin, a favorite spice in my cooking, and a fresh drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil.
Here in Indiana, fall is more visible than anywhere else I’ve lived. One day it feels and looks like summer —high temperatures, sun blasting its rays—, the next day it’s frigid and there’s a silvery blanket of frost on the grass and on every other outdoor surface, even a layer of snow, like today!. But even with the changing weather, one thing never changes, and that’s our visit to the pumpkin farm.
It was one of our favorites outings when my sons were little, and even to this day, it’s still a truly enjoyable experience, if at a different level. I am not chasing little ones through the maze or riding the hay wagon through the cornfields. Now I can slow down and appreciate the expanse of pumpkins in every color, shape and form, a feast for the eyes, as I touch and hold, even sit on, the giant ones, and stop for a photo here and there. I will choose the beautiful pumpkins, the different ones (fairytale pumpkins are my favorite), large ones mostly to place outdoors, medium size ones, for cooking or for decorating indoors. David will go for the smaller ones, to place on his desk or shelves for a seasonal, festive touch.
We haven’t missed our tradition this year, as outdoor activities are the ones we haven’t stopped doing during this whole pandemic year, even if masked. But next week, Thanksgiving, will be less than traditional. We will celebrate, but our gathering will be small, just our family of five. We will not join with our friends like we’ve done for the past many years, or venture out for a little Christmas shopping. Won’t that be the case for most everybody around the country, and around the world, whatever it is that they celebrate in their cultures? The tradition will stay, but it will not be traditional. It will be an exception. It will be, hopefully, the leap year of traditions. And hopefully, as we start to see the light at the end of the tunnel, Thanksgiving 2021 will be grandiose, and Thanksgiving 2020 will be one to remember.
I will be making this butternut squash soup in quantities. To keep with tradition.
Happy Thanksgiving!
BUTTERNUT SQUASH SOUP
Ingredients
- 1 large or 2 small butternut squash
- 1 head of garlic
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 large onion
- 1/4 cup water
- 4 or 5 branches of fresh thyme
- 5 cups vegetable or chicken stock
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF.
- Peel the butternut squash. You can follow this method: score the butternut squash superficially with a fork and place it in the microve. Microwave on high for about 6 minutes, turning every 2 minutes or so. Remove from the microwave. When cool enough to handle, peel it. Cut in half transversally, then cut each piece in half lengthwise. Remove the seeds and fibers with a spoon.
- Slice the butternut squash portions in wedges and place in a bowl. Add the whole garlic cloves (peeled or unpeeled), 2 Tbs olive oil and 3 or 4 branches of thyme and mix to coat every slice of squash and clove of garlic
- Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and spread the squash wedges, thyme and garlic cloves. Bake for 40-50 minutes until soft and golden, adding a bit more water if the pieces start to brown.
- While the squash is in the oven, slice the onion and sauté it in 2 Tbs olive oil.
- When the squash is done, place it in a stock pot. Peel the garlic cloves and place them in the pot. Discard the thyme. Add the onion and 2 cups stock. Add the cumin and stir to mix. Blend with an immersion blender, adding more stock as necessary for the desired thickness (alternatively, you can use a blender, working in batches). Season with salt and pepper.
- Serve hot, garnishing with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and a small branch of thyme.
