More Soup...the mighty Butternut!

Sorry I have been so absent! I'm on a cross-country journey from the east to west coasts in my RV and it is an adventure!

Before I share my soup recipe with you, I want to give a huge birthday shout-out to Buzz Girl, Heather! Happy birthday, g'friend...hope you have an awesome day. Why not make some butternut squash and leek soup? LOL!!

I love this soup. It's so yummy and delicious and it's very healthy for you too in its simple form -- i.e., no bacon and sour cream.

4 1/2 pounds butternut squash, halved lengthwise
5 tablespoons unsalted butter or margarine (I prefer Brummel and Brown)
4 large leeks, white and tender green parts, coarsely chopped
7 fresh thyme sprigs or 1 teaspoon dried
5 cups chicken stock
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup sour cream
About 3 tablespoons chopped chives
8 slices of bacon, fried crisp, crumbled

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Place the squash, cut side down, on a baking sheet and bake until tender, about 40 minutes. Let cool slightly. Using a spoon, scoop out and discard the seeds. Scrape the squash from the skin.

Meanwhile, in a large heavy saucepan or flameproof casserole, melt the butter over low heat. Add the leeks and thyme and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and browned, about 40 minutes. Discard the thyme sprigs.

Stir in the stock and the squash. Simmer over moderate heat for 20 minutes. In a blender or food processor, puree the soup in batches until smooth. Pour the soup back into the pan and season with the salt and pepper.

TO SERVE: Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish each serving with 1 tablespoon sour cream, 1 teaspoon chives and a sprinkling of the bacon.

And mmmmmmm....mmmmmm....mmmmmm...do you have an amazing meal. I like to serve this as a Thanksgiving lunch as the turkey is still cooking. It's filling, but gets you right into the autumn mood for the main meal.



Hope you enjoy!
Marley = )