Butternut Squash Soup

This past weekend, Chris and I drove up to Madison, WI to visit our friends Dan and Jess and to meet their 6-week-old son, Reid. The weather was chilly and drizzly, so Jess and I decided to spend Saturday afternoon in the kitchen preparing a warm, comforting meal. We turned to Alton Brown for a recipe on homemade butternut squash soup. It was pretty easy to make and had layers of flavors that were so good! The finished meal consisted of butternut squash soup, fresh bread, roasted beet salad, grilled pork chops and a lemon tart brulee for dessert. Mmmmm.....


Ingredients

* 6 cups (about 2 large squash) seeded 2-inch wide chunks butternut squash
* Melted butter, for brushing
* 1 tablespoon kosher salt, plus 1 teaspoon
* 1 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper, plus 1/2 teaspoon
* 3 cups chicken or vegetable stock
* 4 tablespoons honey
* 1 teaspoon minced ginger
* 4 ounces heavy cream
* 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Brush the flesh of the squash with a little butter and season with 1 tablespoon salt and 1 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper. On a sheet pan lay the squash flesh side up. Roast for about 30 to 35 minutes or until the flesh is nice and soft.

Scoop the flesh from the skin into a pot and add the stock, honey, and ginger. Bring to a simmer and puree using a stick blender. Stir in the heavy cream and return to a low simmer. Season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg.

Since coming back home, I've been craving more soup but haven't had a three hour block of time to make a batch. So I swung into our local Trader Joe's and found this. It's what I like to think of as the next best thing. :) Bon Appetite!