Butternut Squash Soup
22 October 2009

The autumn chill is definitely in the air (snow has already made an appearance in some parts of the country.) With the chill comes a yearning for foods that provide that soul warming effect. The first food that comes to mind for me is soup.

For anyone who happens to make soups on a regular basis, the favorite recipes (if a recipe is followed at all for those) can only be improved upon when considering the company with whom the soups are shared.

Butternut Squash soup, in particular, comes to mind as a seasonal favorite (yet, I make dozens of batches of it throughout the year.) The squash are plentiful at this time, and relatively inexpensive, as well. There must be as many variations for this soup as there are varieties of squash, but the one that has become my stand-by cannot be topped. It is incredibly simple to prepare, can be served hot or cold, and can be jazzed up with everything from Parmesan cheese and croutons to cilantro and lime.

The version I make has a healthy dose of curry powder lending a pleasing kick to the finish. One of the biggest surprises for me in making this soup is the use of chicken bouillon cubes, as opposed to regular chicken broth. Using prepared chicken broth just isn’t consistent enough for the flavor. While the texture of the squash may vary slightly due to age, I have never been disappointed with this soup. It is like orange velvet. I now have several friends, neighbors, and customers ready for containers of it every time it’s prepared - all it takes is a phone call or a knock on the door letting them know I’ve made some.

This recipe was originally from a friend of my mother’s, and I then put upon my own embellishments. It is written on a 3 x 5, badly stained index card, in my mother’s writing, with my notations in pencil. This one makes me smile when I look at it. What is typed below is as close as I can bring myself to re-writing it.

Curried Butternut Squash Soup
(Yield: about 2 quarts)

• 4 c chicken bouillon (4 bouillon cubes)
• 2 medium sweet onions, coarsely chopped
• 3 T butter
• 3 c squash (2 medium), peeled and chopped into even chunks (about 2”)
• 5 whole cloves
• ½pt. heavy cream (may substitute milk for a lighter soup)
• 1 t. curry powder (McCormick’s is fine - an Oriental type is great for an extra kick, especially is planning on using lime or cilantro when serving.)
• ½ t seasoned salt
• ½ t ground allspice
• Dash freshly ground nutmeg
• Salt and pepper to taste