Butternut Squash Bean Soup

As a way to use squash, particularly butternut squash, soup is a winner. It’s good warm; it’s good cold; it’s good in winter; it’s good in summer; it freezes well… So versatile!

This one, I added beans to make it more filling. I figured, white beans make the spinach dip and the roasted red pepper dip creamy, why not soup? It was good! This would also be an excellent homemade ravioli filling, if you want to get fancy.

Speaking of fancy, I browned a little butter and crisped up some sage leaves from our garden in it as a little garnish. Yum. I’ve also browned thinly sliced mushrooms on top, like oyster or porcini or portabella, and that was delicious. This is oyster mushrooms, a dollop of greek yogurt, and a sprinkling of fresh chives (from my shady window ledge. These are surprisingly resilient to neglect…):

Roasting the squash

To prep your squash for both pie and soup, cut off the stem of your squash then cut it in half lengthwise. Scoop out the seeds and stringy stuff. Lightly oil the inside and place facedown on a baking sheet. Bake at 425’F until a fork goes easily through the neck part of your largest squash. Remove from oven and cool until you can handle it. Then scoop out the insides into a blender and blend until smooth.

Recipe with beans

Serves 4, or freezes well.

INGREDIENTS

• Roasted squash from one large or two small squashes. About 2.5 cups. (And, completely flexible)
• 3 garlic cloves*
• 1 can white beans (cannellini, butter, great northern…)
• salt and pepper

GUIDELINES

1. Combine all ingredients in a food processor, blender, or vitamix. Blend until smooth (or leave a little chunky if you like it that way).
2. Salt and pepper to taste.
3. Serve warm, cold, or in between. Freeze in meal-sized containers. Use as ravioli filling.

OPTIONAL: Top with a scoop of yogurt; fresh herbs like thyme, sage, chives, or parsley; browned mushrooms; or browned butter and herbs.

*If you remember, you could pop the garlic cloves in the oven with your squash, with the papery part still on. When you pull it out, the clove will come easily out of the paper and be a delicious, rich, roasted garlic flavor. Easy! This recipe also works well with raw garlic if you’re refrigerating the soup overnight, which allows the flavor to mellow and seep into the soup.

Recipe without beans

INGREDIENTS

• one white onion, diced
• one large butternut squash, roasted
• 3 cloves garlic, roasted
• salt and pepper

OPTIONAL: 1/4 cup cream

GUIDELINES

1. Sautee onions on medium low until clear and fragrant.
2. Scoop squash out of its skin into a food processor, blender, or vitamix. Top with the sauteed onions and the de-skinned garlic cloves.
3. Blend until smooth or your desired texture. Salt and pepper to taste.

Optional: stir in 1/4 cup of cream. (I do not prefer this for everyday, but it makes it more like squash bisque, which is very yummy. For everyday, I prefer a dollop of yogurt, which can be eaten as a dollop, or stirred in to make the soup more creamy with a little tartness to balance the sweet.)