Creamy Butternut Squash Soup

I love making soup in the winter.

There's just something about eating soup when it's cold outside.

So today's recipe is:

{Butternut Squash Soup}

Ingredients:

2 butternut squash

1 medium yellow onion

1-2 cloves minced garlic

5 T butter

5 T flour

32 oz chicken stock

4 cups whipping cream (can substitute w/ milk)

1 tsp salt

Pinch of nutmeg (optional)

Start by peeling the squash w/ a vegetable peeler.  Then cut the squash in half, scoop out the seeds w/ a spoon and dice the squash:

Now you are going to steam or boil the squash until it is soft (I steamed mine).  While you are steaming/boiling the squash, dice the onion.  Pour some olive oil in a hot skillet (1 to 2 Tbsp) and add the onions.  Make sure you salt and pepper the onion - it will add so much flavor!  While you are cooking the onion, add the minced garlic.

Once the onion is soft (it will be a little translucent), put squash and onion together in a blender with some chicken stock.  Blend until smooth:

Now it's time to make your roux.  Melt butter in your big soup pot.  Add the flour and cook for a few minutes to cook the raw flour flavor out:

Now you will slowly add the chicken stock, continually stirring as you do it.  It should thicken up as it heats up.  Once it starts thickening up, pour in your cream/milk and continue stirring.  

Next it is time to add your butternut squash.  Just pour it in with the milk mixture and stir.  At this point, I let it heat up and then add my salt.  Start with less, maybe 1/2 tsp.  You can always add more, but you can't take it out once it's in.

Now, I like to add just a pinch of nutmeg, maybe 1/4 tsp, to the pot-o-soup.  Try a little!  It adds a little something special (I learned this tip from Rachel Ray).  And if you like it, you can add a little more :)  In fact, I garnish mine with just a little:

 This soup is mm, mm good!

Try it on a cold day - you won't be disappointed!

PS - Jen from Tatertots & Jello featured my {Love} Birds Valentine craft!  Yippety Skippety!

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