food coma: averted
Recipe: roasted butternut squash soup simplified
I know a lot of people are traveling today. I hope everyone got to or gets to their destination safely and without incident. We are staying put – the way we like it. Keeps things low key and stress free. I went to the dentist this morning to get fitted for a crown and realized that after an hour, I could feel my gums again. So I think that may be why I suffered such immense pain yesterday because my dentist was jamming the posts down my root canals about 2 hours after she numbed my mouth. *Great* I love it when that happens! Today was a walk in the park by comparison.
While most folks are preparing their turkeys, we have been contemplating the leftovers (there are a lot) as well as eating them. Those potatoes au gratin really do get better with time.
turkey reuben, anyone?
The salad I made was a very simple toss of mixed salad greens, orange slices (supremed), and pomegranate seeds. The dressing was inspired by my beautiful aunt, Elena, who is a KICKASS cook. When we were visiting just a few weeks ago, she gave me a bottle of lemon grapeseed oil before we left (she is also the one who provided me with truffle butter – I just love the woman).
so fragrant and delightful
Elena suggested making a simple vinaigrette with orange juice and the oil and a few other ingredients. I just stuck with the oil and juice: 1/2 cup fresh orange juice and 1/4 cup oil – I like my dressings on the watery side. A sprinkle of fresh ground pepper and it was good to go. A very nice and light contrast to heavier traditional Thanksgiving fare.
unplanned: butternut squash
So while I was gathering groceries for our dinner, I walked past the heap of butternut squashes and a moment later I had one cradled in my basket. I quite love butternut squash, but never seem to cook much with it. My last attempt at a butternut squash soup left me feeling “meh”. I wasn’t a fan of the sweetness from the apples.
roasted
puréed
This time around I decided to omit the apples and keep it simple: butternut squash, onions, bacon, chicken broth. Easy peasy. In this case, I quite prefer to let the butternut squash be the star of the recipe, not to mention it has been great to slurp down while I let my tooth recover.
sautéed onions
precious bacon
There are days when you go chunky and days when you go for smooth – this version was as smooth as my Cuisinart could get it. I puréed the roasted squash and onions with a little chicken broth until the big visible lumps were gone. A lot of recipes say to crumble the bacon, but I wound up chopping the hell out of it. Tasty.
stir in the bacon last
While I love the idea and the taste of adding cream to soups, I generally try to avoid it with butternut squash. I think the squash has such a nice texture and flavor that the addition of cream isn’t necessary (although it is admittedly delicious). Not to mention there was enough cream in the potatoes to last us a month… I found this version of roasted butternut squash soup to be far more satisfying than the last one without sending me over the edge toward food coma land.
plenty creamy on its own
Roasted Butternut Squash Soup Simplified
[print recipe]
4 lbs. butternut squash, quartered and seeded
2 tbsps olive oil
1 onion, diced
6 slices bacon, fried crisp
1 quart chicken broth
salt to taste
Roast the squash on an oiled baking sheet in a 400°F oven for 45 minutes to an hour until soft. Remove from oven and scoop the flesh from the skin. Discard skin. Heat olive oil in a sauté pan (or if you want to be naughty, use some of the bacon grease) and fry the onions until translucent and soft. Place the squash and onions in a food processor and process until smooth, adding chicken broth as needed to keep it fluid. Pour the contents into a medium saucepan and add enough chicken broth to achieve the desired consistency. Heat over medium heat until steaming. Crumble or mince the bacon and stir into the soup. Add salt to taste. Serve hot.
November 26th, 2008 at 10:28 pm
Ugh. I hope they gave you some good pain meds. Tooth pain is the worst, but I’m sure the creamy soup will make you feel better. This is yet another time you make me wish I would take more time to cook for myself. :)
November 26th, 2008 at 10:32 pm
I’ve been on a squash/pumpkin soup lookout! I think I found a good one, at last. hmmmm yummy sandwich!
take care xxoo
November 26th, 2008 at 10:43 pm
Oh, I can totally sympathize/empathize about the crown. That’s what I was dealing with one week ago. I won’t get the permanent one for another 2 weeks. And my dentist is such a funny guy — as I walked out the door he said, “No caramels for 3 weeks!” Ha Ha. Is he clairvoyant?
The soup looks delicious and most appropriate. Happy Thanksgiving.
November 26th, 2008 at 10:49 pm
Ah, we are of one mind re: stressing one’s self out. Poor tooth! I hope the soup made it all better. You’re my hero ;P (<– the elusive wink-tongue). The sandwich is missing something… Oh yeah, the carmine glow of nitrates over beef, haha!
I don’t remember the last time I made squash soup, but it was a lot more complicated than this AND it didn’t have the benefit of yummy, precious bacon. I would have saved a spoonful of crumbled heaven for myself. Have a happy thanksgiving (again), Jen!
November 26th, 2008 at 11:03 pm
I’d love one of your Reuben sandwiches! A delightful soup!
Happy Thanksgiving!
Cheers,
Rosa
November 27th, 2008 at 12:07 am
Your soup sounds yummy … i’d totally want to try that lemonseed vinegar, btw, and can i have your reuben sandwich right now, for breakfast, pretty please, i’m hungry. :)
November 27th, 2008 at 6:39 am
Wow… that sandwich looks amazing.
Happy Thanksgiving!!
November 27th, 2008 at 6:56 am
OK, I know it’s a holiday and we’re supposed to be nice and listen to the better angels of our nature and all that, but:
Your onions are too perfect. I feel very *jealous* right now. In fact, right now I’m hating you for your knife skills, just a leeettle beet.
This is an elegant recipe, though. So I forgive you. When I make it the onion dice will be in pathetic little chunks and will look as though a third-grader cut them up with those round-tipped scissors.
November 27th, 2008 at 8:17 am
Bacon + butternut squash soup + turkey sandwiches = I want some please.
What a great idea, but whenever I have hosted a Thanksgiving dinner (in October ;) of course) I always send my guests home with the leftovers. Have a great day.
November 27th, 2008 at 11:51 am
Happy Thanksgiving, Jen! I hope that you and Jeremy are having a peaceful and relaxing day! XOXO!
November 27th, 2008 at 2:53 pm
Soup looks good. We like ours with a little ginger in it.
http://chezannies.blogspot.com/2008/11/roasted-butternut-squash-soup-with.html
November 27th, 2008 at 5:07 pm
You’re right, some soups just don’t need cream, although it’s nice to change up the flavor every now and again. That’s such an awesome sandwich.
Hope you had a great Thanksgiving!
November 27th, 2008 at 8:59 pm
I made a butternut squash soup last weekend and it was creamy as heck. I loved it the first day and then grew tired of how heavy it was. I think that the next time I make butternut squash soup again, I’m going to try your recipe…the bacon provided loads of incentive to try it, not to mention that it doesn’t have cream in it. Great idea!
November 27th, 2008 at 9:14 pm
My tooth was talking back to me today. But still don’t want to see dentist yet!
The soup is just perfect for my molar! Maybe if I ate this delicious soup more often, I can avoid the dentist for good! No chewing, just slurping….
November 28th, 2008 at 3:07 pm
This looks great – I think a big part of my issue with squash in the past has been the tendency for people to take it sweet instead of savory. It has enough sweetness on it’s own and when you add more sweet things it gets too overwhelming. I think this soup sounds outstanding… mmm
November 28th, 2008 at 6:14 pm
The reuben is for ME. Fo’ sho’.
And I actually haven’t seen butternut squash with bacon. How could that be bad?
November 28th, 2008 at 7:27 pm
Adding bacon to a butternut squash soup is a great idea! I like the look of that turkey Reuben as well.
November 29th, 2008 at 7:18 am
[…] Yu over at Use Real Butter is eating turkey reubens, that could be […]
November 30th, 2008 at 7:48 am
lovely! after many pints of trader joe’s ready made soup; trying something fresh and from scratch is well worth the effort. the color is gorgeous and the crisp bacon really dressed it up.
happy thanksgiving to both of you…
November 30th, 2008 at 6:37 pm
GSG – surprisingly, I didn’t need pain meds afterward, just *during* ;)
Mrs E. – great!
Judy – mine said the same! so I think they tell everyone that :)
Mark – thanks, hon.
Rosa – :)
Maja – sure thing!
Michelle – thanks! Hope yours was good too!
Fiona – you are too funny! I don’t actually chop onions correctly.
Joanne – I enjoy the leftover turkey too much to part with them ;) They can take everything else though.
Susan – thanks, sweetie! You too.
Nate – mmmm, ginger.
Christina – thank you!
Shoshanna – awesome, I hope you like the soup!
WoRC – oh girl, the sooner you get to it, the better it will be! xxoo
Mollie – yes, I definitely prefer salty to the sweet (but you knew that!). kindred spirits :)
Melissa – anything+bacon=Good!
Kevin – thanks!
Rose – thank you and happy thanksgiving to you :)
December 1st, 2008 at 8:45 am
My favorite roasted butternut squash soup includes curry and a dollop of plain yogurt right before serving. I recommend it :)
December 3rd, 2008 at 6:37 pm
Ailo – thanks.
October 4th, 2010 at 9:57 am
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