Butternut Squash Soup

I always associate butternut squash with my grandmother.  Whenever we would visit her in New England, she would mash up the squash and serve it with butter, brown sugar, salt & pepper.  So this one's for you Gram--I'll see you in Heaven someday.

Butternut Squash Soup

1              Medium butternut squash
2 T           Butter
1 t            Minced garlic
1              Small onion
1              Medium carrot or 6-8 baby carrots
1              Baking potato
1              Sweet potato
32 oz       Chicken broth (or vegetable broth)
1/4 t         Curry powder
                 Salt & pepper to taste

Cut the squash in half and remove the seeds.

Place cut side down in a roasting pan and add 1/2 inch of water.  Bake at 350 for 45-60 minutes until the a fork punctures it easily.

 In the meantime chop the onion, carrot and potatoes. 

Melt the butter in a large dutch oven.  Add the chopped vegetables and garlic to the butter and stir until they're browned.  Add the chicken broth, cover and simmer 45 minutes until the veggies are tender. 

When the squash is cool enough to handle, scoop out the pulp and add it to the dutch oven. (Note: I bought a really big squash so I only used half in the recipe)

 Use an immersion blender to get a smooth consistancy (or transfer in batches to a food processor or blender).  You may also leave some of it chunky for a different texture. Add the curry, salt and pepper for the final blend. 

This soup is great with a little garnishment of sour cream or I used kefir.  The tang and the sweetness play well off each other.  I had planned to serve this with sandwiches but actually ended up thowing some chopped, smoked turkey and corn in here to make it a delicious chowder instead.

Linking up with Try a New Recipe Tuesday .