Erin's Butternut Squash Soup

Many of our recipes have been what we've found and adapted to our tastes over the years, but this recipe was made without a recipe in my kitchen! I know many recipes for butternut squash soup will look exactly the same, but I'm proud that I made something without looking up a recipe first. Also, this soup may have won a soup contest once. ;)

Erin's Butternut Squash Soup (4-6 Servings)

Ingredients

• 1 butternut squash

• 2 cloves garlic, minced

• 1 medium onion, diced

• 1 Tablespoon olive oil

• 1/4 cup butter

• 4 cups chicken broth

• 1/2 tsp cumin

• Salt & pepper, to taste

• Cayenne, to taste (optional)

• Garnish with: bacon bits, heavy cream, parsley

Directions

1. Wash and peel butternut squash, then cut in half and scoop out seeds. Cut halves into 1-inch cubes, then set aside.

2. In a large pot, melt butter with olive oil, then sauté onions and garlic until onions are translucent, about 5 minutes.

3. Add butternut squash and chicken broth, making sure butternut squash is completely covered by broth. Add more chicken broth if needed. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer until butternut squash is fork tender, about 25-30 minutes.

4. When squash is cooked, use either an immersion blender or food processor to puree soup until smooth. Be careful transferring hot soup from the pot if you are using a food processor!

5. When soup is pureed and back in the pot, season with salt, pepper, cumin and cayenne until taste is as desired. Continue to simmer for about 15 minutes.

6. Serve soup immediately, garnishing with a splash of heavy cream, bacon bits, and fresh or dried parsley. Enjoy!