Sweet & Spicy Butternut Soup

Well, I've gone overboard. I went to the market today and came home with a little over 10 pounds of squash.

10 pounds!!!

It seemed like a good idea at the time, but now I'm wondering what the heck I'm going to do with it all... I guess I'll just have to take it one squash at a time.

First up: Butternut.

I love butternut squash... probably in large part because it's insanely easy to prepare. A vegetable peeler is all you need to remove its thin skin, although some people don't even bother with that because it becomes almost as tender as the flesh when it's cooked. After that, you just cut off the ends, cut it in half, and scoop out the seeds. If you plan on pureeing it for soup or gratin, you'll want to dice it too. Due to its size and pliability, this process about a hundred times easier than gutting a pumpkin. (Bonus: You can substitute butternut for pumpkin in pretty much any recipe.)

Even better, Butternut's extremely versatile. French, Mexican, Italian... it does them all, and more. This soup recipe takes advantage of the squash's natural sweetness, pairing it with just enough red pepper that it leaves you feeling warm all-over... exactly what we need as the winter cold begins to sink in!

The recipe below will make enough for 4 large servings and should be good in the fridge for the better part of a week. I'm saving mine for lunches and I've made a lovely honey-wheat sandwich loaf to go along with it. Yum!

So, one squash down, three to go. I'll keep you posted on the progress... oh, and just wait until you see what else I dug up at the market!

Sweet and Spicy Butternut Soup

1 Medium-Large Butternut Squash, Peeled and Diced
1 Red Onion, Diced
3 Cups Chicken Stock
2 Cups Apple Cider
1/4t Red Pepper Flakes
1/4t Nutmeg
1/2t Cinnamon
1/2t Salt
1/2t Pepper
2T Olive Oil
2 Sprigs Rosemary (optional)

Heat oil in large stock pot. Add onions and cook at low-medium heat until almost translucent. Coat onions in red pepper, nutmeg, cinnamon, salt and pepper. Add squash. Cook at medium for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add stock, cider and rosemary (if using). Bring to a boil, then simmer until squash softens (approximately 1 hour). Turn off heat and puree with immersion blender, food processor, or blender (in batches if necessary).