Simple Winter Squash Soup ~ A Recipe

Do you have some winter squashes sitting around that need a home?  I found one.  But first, let's take a look at winter squashes.  Several years back when I first heard of them, my city-girl self thought winter squash meant you plant them in the wintertime.  Yep.  I had a large learning curve ahead.  I came to discover that you plant them in the summertime.  Winter squashes got their name because they can be stored all through the winter. The hard skin makes this possible.  Here are some winter squashes you can use in this recipe:

You can also use spaghetti, kabocha, amber cup... any squash with a hard skin

Simple Winter Squash Soup

Prep time: 15 min; bake time: 30 min; serves 6-8

• 2 small or one large winter squash (any pictured above, equalling a total of around 4 cups cooked squash)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 quart chicken stock
• 1 teaspoon thyme
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 cup cream or coconut milk (full fat)
• freshly ground pepper to taste
• extra cream to drizzle on top (if desired)

1. Preheat oven to 350º.  Slice ends off squash, then slice down the middle and spoon out all seeds and membranes. Place in a large pan, open side-down, with about a cup of water in it.  Bake squash for about 30 minutes, or until scoopable.
2. While squash bakes, heat olive oil over medium heat in soup pot.  Saute onions for about 5-10 minutes or until soft.  Add chicken stock, thyme, garlic, salt, and nutmeg.  Simmer while you wait for the squash to finish baking.
3. Once squash is done baking and it's cool enough to handle, use a spoon to scoop it into the soup pot.  Add cream or coconut milk, stir, and heat through.  
4. Use an immersion blender for a pureed soup or potato masher if you prefer it chunky until it reaches desired consistency.  Ladle soup into bowls, drizzle some more cream or coconut milk on top if desired, and grind some fresh pepper to sprinkle on top.  Serve and enjoy!

I'm sharing this on Simple Lives Thursday, Pennywise Platter, Fight Back Friday.