From the Saute Pan: Butternut Squash Soup

A and I love butternut squash.  We first experimented with it in a risotto - delicious.  We put it in stew, tagine, as pasta sauce, you name it, we can find a use for it.  However, it's not the easiest vegetable to prepare.  Peeling it is not fun.  And even using the biggest knife we have, it's difficult to cut into manageable pieces.

This was our first attempt at using it in soup.  I had an idea to chop up toasted nuts to make it "fancy".  Don't let the tough squash skin deter you from trying it out!

Dish: Butternut Squash Soup
Eaten With: Salad
Main Ingredients: Butternut squash, chicken stock, almonds, walnuts


How to Make It:
1. Peel a butternut squash and cut it into cubes.

2. Steam the squash until soft.  (We do it in a colander over a pot of boiling water. Tip: Add salt to make the water boil faster.)

3. Transfer the squash to a pot and add chicken stock/broth to cover.  Bring to a boil and simmer until squash falls apart when pulled with a fork.

4. Toast about 1 cup of almonds and walnuts under the broiler.
5. Chop the nuts in a food processor until finely ground.

6. Add nuts, sage and allspice to the squash.  Blend with an immersion blender (or transfer to a standing blender).