I have been experimenting with this soup, and I am very satisfied with this final recipe.
1 stick salted butter
1/2 onion, sliced
1 clove garlic, diced
1 carrot, sliced
2 apples, peeled, cored, and diced
2 cups butternut squash, roasted, peeled, and diced (or, the way I do it, scooped out of skin and put directly into soup)
2 cups vegetarian stock
Salt and pepper to taste
I bet you can guess how to cook this soup, just from the ingredients. Squash soup is incredibly simple.
I’m a little embarrassed to be sharing this with you, actually. But, the ‘blog must go on.
Anyhoo:
1. Melt butter over medium heat in a heavy-bottomed sauce pan. Add onions, and saute for 20 minutes (30 if you’d like them sweeter).
2. Add garlic and carrots to butter, saute for 5 to 7 minutes.
3. Add apples, squash and stock, and simmer for 20-30 minutes. Add salt and pepper, and, if you want cinnamon, nutmeg, and/or chili pepper flakes.
4. Use an immersion blender to puree the soup. If you don’t have an immersion blender, you really should get one, but barring that, let the soup cool and run it through a food processor.
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I tried another experiment this weekend: cooking with parsnips. I’m going to have to figure out some other options for this root vegetable because I think I’m going to be getting bags of them from my CSA.
Sunday, I peeled and diced five parsnips, and put them in a slow cooker with 1/2 cup of vegetable stock. I let them cook on high for about 40 minutes, then added 5-6 peeled and diced potatoes. I let this all cook for another 2 hours, then added a stick of butter, rosemary, salt and pepper, and (again) pureed them with the immersion blender.
They were very tasty, but not fluffy, the way whipped potatoes can be. More runny. Maybe that’s a function of the parsnips, but maybe I should’ve only used a 1/4 cup of stock and/or not cooked them for so long. Experiments will continue. Another thing I thought would be tasty would be to add sour cream (maybe a 1/2 cup). Dan was skeptical but liked them, and as with anything potato related, my children didn’t like them at all. (Seriously, children, you are almost half-Irish. You are going to come around to potatoes.)
What do you like to make with root veggies?
Red Pen Mama 
ONIONS?!
Shhhh, I know. Don’t tell Dan.
I’d like to try this soup. What kind of apples do you recommend using?
BTW, my 10 yo does not like any form of potato either – no french fries, tator tots, baked potato, or home fries. Nothing! As you stated, “Dude, we’re Irish!”
I used Liberty (or Liberty Gold) because that’s what my CSA sends. I think gala, Jonagold, or something like those varieties. Something sweet, not too tart.
It’s so good. I’m having it for lunch again today, along with home baked bread that a friend gave me. I can’t wait!
I tried to get them to eat potatoes again last night. Really, you’d think I was trying to make them eat slugs. Someday they will discover the magic of ‘taters, and I will be vindicated!
I have some frozen, roasted butternut squash puree in the freezer, about 3 cups, and a lt of gala apples. Exactly what I’ve been looking for to use these up! I also have some fresh sage that I thought would marry well with it. And yes, definitely onions. They”ll never know if your pureeing it. No ideas for the parsnips. We tried them, and none of us were big fans of the taste. One of the reasons I haven’t subscribed to a CSA.
Yes, the first time I made this soup, my squash was pretty much pureed already. It also may have been a mixture of butternut and acorn.
Yeah, I’m having my doubts about parsnips. I’ll give them another try or two. I can tell my CSA to leave them out of our share for the future if nothing appeals.