Thursday, November 20, 2008

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup & It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas!

My daughter works in mid-town Manhattan, and as she passed by Rockefeller Center the other day she saw that the annual Christmas tree has been delivered! She took the photo above with her cell phone. ( for a clearer view click on to enlarge)

The scaffold is still all around it, so it can be decorated with lights, and the official tree lighting ceremony will take place on December! It's always exciting to visit this part of Manhattan during the Christmas season as everything is so beautifully transformed by holiday splendor.

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When I made the ossco buco and butternut squash risotto earlier in the week, I showed how I roasted two medium butternut squashes in the oven at the same time. They were brushed with melted butter and placed in the oven at 350 F, for about 40 minutes, cooked until they were soft when pierced with a fork.

I cubed one half of the squash and stirred into the risotto, the other three halves I scraped off the flesh from the outer skin, placed the flesh in a bowl, and saved it in the refrigerator. Roasting the butternut squash gives it a nice caramelized condenses its flavor. A few days later I used this mashed squash to make soup!


Roasted Butternut Squash Soup


Ingredients:

1 medium onion minced
2 tablespoons butter
1 boiled potato, peeled and chopped
4 cups roasted butternut squash
4 cups vegetable or chicken broth
1 tablespoon sugar
2 tablespoons garam marsala spice * ( or mild curry spice)
1/2 cup cream

* Garam marsala is an Indian spice consisting of a blend of spices such as black pepper, cardamon seeds, cinnamon, cloves, cumin, crumbled bay leaves, nutmeg ,coriander, and fennel seeds. It can be found in gourmet stores and most large supermarkets. A mild Curry powder can be substituted for it.

A good web site that shows blends of common spice mixtures used in ethnic cooking is "Ethnic Spice Blends."

To prepare:

In a large heavy saucepan saute the minced onion in the butter until the onion is soft and translucent.

Next, add the roasted squash and the slice boiled potato. I add the potato because it acts as a thickener. Mix well.

Pour in the broth and stir well and let all come to a low boil, stirring occasionally. Add the sugar and garam marsala spice and mix well.

Blend well using an immersion blender. My $10 drug store model is still going strong! If you do not have an immersion blender you can puree the squash and potato in a food processor or blender before adding them to the pot.

After blending turn off heat and slowly stir the cream into the soup until well blended, and serve.
I sprinkle a little extra cinnamon on top of each serving. This is an excellent soup to warm you up on a cold day!

One of the reasons I like to make soup is that I can control the amount of salt that is added. This butternut soup recipe has no salt added except for the salt that is in the butter, and I could have avoided that completely buy using olive oil to saute the onions.

If you look at the ingredients listed on a can of commercially prepared soups you will see that many have over 1,000 mg of salt per serving! That is almost half the entire amount of salt that is recommended as the total to be consumed by an adult in a day. Many of the dry package soups have even more salt added to them. If you have a family history of high blood pressure or kidney disease it is important to think about how much salt you are using to cook, and what is in the prepared foods that you use. Add it all up and you might be surprised!

29 comments:

Unknown said...

Hi Pat,
I bet it is exciting to live in NYC and see all the Christmas prep!

I love it in our town too! We have a group coming there in a couple of weeks...we missed out on this trip and didn't get signed up in time.

But things have a way of working out, since it looks like we may come this spring!

The recipe looks great! Brrr..it's COLD here...supposed to be in the 20's tonight and windy all day tomorrow!

Rhonda Hartis Smith said...

Pat,
That soup looks so good, wish I had a bowl of it right now (even though it's midnight). I got to go to New York City in November one year when the tree and all the decorations were up. I really loved it. We aso went to see the Rockettes at Radio City Music Hall.
Rhonda

Judy said...

That soup looks so good...thanks for sharing the recipe. I wasn't back from vacation for more than an hour...before I was cooking. I always miss that when I'm gone!

Just A Girl said...

Hi Pat,
I'd still like to come to our house for dinner. The soup looks so delicious its making me want to make some.
Just wanted to let you know I posted my book tag facts.
I hope your feeling better.
xo Cori

The Quintessential Magpie said...

Pat, all my life I've wanted to go to NYC at Christmas and haven't made it. My husband has been and says it's glorious. You are so blessed to be there.

The soup looks delicious. That is one of my very favorite kinds, too. Will have to copy this recipe for sure.

Eat some for me, enjoy!

XO,

Sheila

Catherine said...

I`m going to try your recpie very soon. I love butternut squash. All your recipes are great!

Ah! Christmas in the city! I love living rural but there is also charm in the city.

Tracy said...

Hi, Pat! Christmas is coming...hehehe...Such fun when the trees go up! Love your soup recipe...that's my kind of soup! I just love making soups...I made a potato-leek-corn chowder last night. The recipe needs tweaking but I hope to share it soon. I is soooo cold here, so soup is on the menu often--LOL! Happy weekend, my friend ((HUGS))

Kat Mortensen said...

I'd be lost without my immersion blender!
It must be thrilling to be in NYC at this time of year.

Kat

Nola said...

Looks yummy, and aren't those immersion blenders a blessing? SO easy to use, and easy to clean! I bought one at a garage sale for $1 several years ago, and now I use it, and leave the big blender under the cabinet.

Linda Lou said...

I miss Christmas in New York, I worked near Lord% Taylor, they would always have neat holiday windows..then there was the Nutcracker at Lincoln Center, or the Christmas show at Radio City....I need a NY fix!

Betsy Brock said...

I can't believe Christmas is almost here! I need to get in the holiday spirit...which hasn't hit me yet! :)

The soup looks wonderful!

Bo said...

Hi Pat...I wish I had a bowl of your soup right now...Yum! I got rid of my immersion blender in a garage sale because I never used it...phooey, now I wish I had it back... Blessings, ;-) Bo

Vee said...

Ohhhh, that looks beautiful! Wouldn't that make a delightful appetizer for Thanksgiving when everyone is sitting around waiting for the turkey?!

Kathy said...

Hi Pat, I'm back and catching up and what a wonderful sight to come back to, the Christmas tree and decorations in NYC will be stunning I am sure but your Butternut Squash(my fave)soup looks so delicious, I just wish I has a great big bowl of it right now, have a wonderful weekend my friend, hugs, Kathy.
ps. isnt the salt content of some foods scary?.

Anonymous said...

Hi Pat, NYC is a fabulous place to be at Christmas. Everything is so festive and everyone seems to get in the spirit. All the big store window and Rockefeller Center. I have watched these events on tv.

Your squash soup looks awesome and I am sure with the help of your lovely stove (smile) it is to die for. I love to make good soup. thanks for a clear way of cooking this lovely soup.

Hugs...Jeanne

black eyed susans kitchen said...

The soup looks delicious and comforting. When I read your blog, I miss the city more and more. I think that I am tired of living in the burbs. My favorite was watching them prepare for the Macy's Thanksgiving day parade. I worked across the street from the Empire State building and would walk to the train station and watch the set up...it was festive and exciting. Susan

Sandra Evertson said...

That looks divine! Thanks for sharing your recipe! We just had out first cold snap and I', ready for some soup!
Sandra Evertson

Michele said...

Cool Pot!!! Looks delish!

Just though you should know that I finally did the tagging thing! You and another blogger both tagged me for something very similar so I did it for both! It was fun!!!

Louise said...

Pat, I wish you wouldn't keep doing this to me, posting lovely recipes on your blog, and showing photos. I love these thick soups, I have a sore throat at the moment, and I could really do with a bowl of this! x

Proud Italian Cook said...

Gorgeous soup Pat! Love your pan too! X-mas time in NY must be so exciting!!!

The Quintessential Magpie said...

Pat,

I have to tell you something funny. I was at a luncheon today at a restaurant, and when people would ask me what soup I was having, I would reply, "I'm having the soup du jour which is butternut squash." Well, the soup du jour was lentil, wonderful mind you, but lentil. Gee... I wonder where I had butternut squash on the brain??? ;-)

XO,

Sheila

P.S. For the answer to that question, read my post from earlier in the thread. :-)

Anonymous said...

Lovely warming soup. How exciting and what a wonderful tree! I'm not sure if the Christmas Tree is at Trafalgar Square in London yet. It will get lit on 4th Dec. It is the 62nd tree London has received from Oslo Norway as a thank you for the help in the 2nd World War. So touching.

Sandi @the WhistleStop Cafe said...

My favorite soup in the whole wide world!
I have an imersion blender on my wish list... heck I didn't know you could get a $10 model. I'd better change that list!

Lavinia said...

Homemade is always best, but last winter I lucked out and found Wolfgang Puck's canned butternut squash soup and it was soooo delicious. THe store I found it at was selling it for an unbelievably cheap one dollar a can. I bought as many as I could carry; when I went back the next day for more, they were all gone....no wonder.!

Lisa's RetroStyle said...

I can't wait to see your Christmas in the city posts...I bet there will be lots of beautiful decorations!!
Another great sounding recipe! I've made squash soup before and it was awfully bland...but your recipe sounds tasty!!

Pat @ Mille Fiori Favoriti said...

Hi Black eyed Susan! Do you have a blog? Your profile doesn't show one when I click on it?

Femin Susan said...

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Gina said...

Your soup looks delish Pat! Love the addition of garam marsala :D

Anonymous said...

Pat
I love Butternut squash soup too.
Love to add ginger or apples to the soup.
But will try your recipe, thank you for sharing.
Gisela