The Best Roasted Butternut Squash Soup ~ Creamy and Savory

One of the things I look most forward to about Fall is the soup! Baking is wonderful, too!  There is just something truly special about making a wonderful soup, picking up french bread, or making biscuits, and inviting family to come share your table with you.

This is the time of year when we start to take stock of things and, genuinely, count our blessings. Thanksgiving right around the corner and the desire to be with family becomes more important as we realize how truly blessed we are.  So, I've been working on these images to share a recipe of mine that my family especially loves.

There is absolutely nothing more important than having good quality ingredients. 

No matter how good a recipe may be, if you don't start with quality ingredients, it won't turn out as well as you hoped for. However, with this recipe, it doesn't take much money to have quality.

I shared this recipe once before on my blog, but time, experience and fine tuning, have put me in a place to better share it with you now. First of all, this past year has been full of many trials, health and otherwise, but as I say that, I can tell you they were quickly followed my miracles and abundant blessings.  I can think of no better reason to get the family together to eat some wonderful soup!

I know a great many people that find butternut squash a very daunting idea to take on, but truthfully it couldn't be easier. I use a regular T peeler and just peel mine like it were a potato, then the very best way I've found for cleaning out the center is a good old ice cream scoop,  not so scary, right? 

Once you have peeled and cut your squash into approximately 1-inch cubes, place them in a bowl that allows you room for folding with a spatula. You are going to want to pour 1 Tablespoon of each, butter and extra light virgin olive oil over your precious cubes and then add a tablespoon each of salt and sugar. It's really not that much when you consider that it's all going into a very large pot of soup. This combination gives you the exact balance needed to get that nice caramelization. That's the whole reason for roasting your butternut in the first place.

Just as you have poured your wonderful golden gems of Butternut onto a cookie sheet (lay foil over the top and push down, do not seal) and put them into your 425 degrees F oven, you are ready to toss all your other veggies into a large saucepan, with a little olive oil and salt, cover and cook on medium. The steam will be enough for the first 10 minutes. after 10 minutes add your first can of Chicken Broth (I like Swanson's) but, you should use your favorite.

Just about the time your veggies start to soften (approximately 20-25 minutes) It's time to take your Butternut out of the oven and give it a turn and pop it back in, without the foil, for an extra 5-8 minutes to get just a little more of those golden edges. Note: If you are making this while your family is present, be prepared, many will not make it into your soup if you leave these little morsels unattended.  When they are done they will look something like this. 

Is your mouth watering yet? 

Now, you are ready to add your roasted squash to your veggie mixture.  After you combine the two, add an additional can or two of the chicken broth, cover and let cook together for about 10 minutes. I take my potato masher, at this point and give it all a light mashing, reducing my heat to low. 

The rest is up to you! Some people like to blend the entire soup to a pure cream, I have found I prefer to blend 1/2 of the soup, adding your half and half and cream cheese, while blending. Then return it to the pan. It really is creamy, yet gives you some pleasant texture, as well. 

Remember when re-heating this to keep on low, after you've added the dairy, it can separate on higher heat.

Whether you have a wonderful family to share this with or you are on your own, this is a wonderful soup, and it's just perfect for cooler days and the time to you need to think of all you have to be grateful for. I hope you enjoy it as much as my family and I do. I'm so grateful that you come over to read what I have to share with you. so, I have added you all to my gratitude list, this year, once again. 

The Best Roasted Butternut Squash Soup Ever ~ Creamy and Savory

by Theresa L Begin January-19-2013

~With the additional vegetables and cream, you'll never want to cook Butternut Squash any other way
Ingredients

Ingredients

• 2-1/2 lb-3lbs Butternut Squash, cubed and roasted
• 1-1/2-2 cups Chopped Celery
• 1 large or 2 medium Yellow Onion, chopped
• 1/2 Large Yellow or Orange Sweet Pepper, chopped
• 5-8 cloves Garlic, peeled and roughly chopped
• 2 cups Carrots, Chopped
• 3-4 medium Potatoes, chopped
• 1/2-3/4 cup Half and Half
• 2-3 Tbsp Cream Cheese
• 2-3 Cans Chicken Broth
• Butter
• Extra Light Virgin Olive Oil
• Sal and Pepper to taste

Instructions

Details

Prep time: 30 mins Cook time: 40 mins Total time: 1 hour 30 mins Yield: 6-8 Large Servings

I'll be sharing this post with:

Savvy Southern Style| The Dedicated House |A Stroll Thru Life | Made In a Day | Live Randomly Simple | My Sweet Things |God's Growing Garden | Dwellings~ The Heart of Your Home | The DIY Dreamer | Stone Gable |Ginger Snap Crafts | Katherine's Corner | White House Crafts | A Delightsome Life | Creative Ways Link Party | Classical Homemaking | Charm Bracelet Diva |Grace at Home | Shabbilicious Friday | French Country Cottage | Life with Lorelai - Home Matters Party   The Charm of Home | Chic On a Shoestring Decorating | Raggedy Bits Waste Not Wednesday | DIY Vintage Chic | Oh MY Heartsie Girl | Olives & Okra | Nifty Thrifty Things | Pierced Pastimes | Rooted in Thyme | How Sweet the Sound   Life on Lakeshore Drive | Create with Joy | Dear Creatives | My Soulful Home | DIY 180 | Coastal Charm | Between Naps On the Porch |Across the Boulevard | Flamingo Toes | I Should Be Mopping the Floor | My Pinterventures | Farmhouse 40  | My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia | Creatively Living | Miz Helen's Country Cottage | Sadie Seasongoods | Poofing the Pillows | Creativity Unleashed | Tatertots and Jello | Ms. Toody Goo Shoes | Botanic Bleu