Butternut Squash Soup

My mom isn't a fan of squash, therefore we didn't eat it when I was a kid. I just assumed it was gross and wouldn't like it either. Boy, was I wrong. Now that I'm an adult and know that it won't kill me to try new food I have developed a love for squash and zucchini. I'm really looking forward to harvesting some great squash and zucchini from our garden later this summer.

Recently I came across a butternut squash. I had never tried this let alone made something out of it. My husband automatically suggested soup. Do you feel like there are certain foods that just go better in the Fall and Winter? My initial thought was "Ugh, soup in July? No thanks", but I didn't know what else to do with it so soup it was. I'm really glad too, it was so good.

I searched the Internet for a recipe that used ingredients we like. I found one to use as a starting point and went from there. Here is what I came up with.

What you need:
2 T Butter
1/2 medium onion, chopped
1 stalk of celery, chopped
2 medium carrots, peeled and chopped
3 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 medium butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cubed
32 fluid ounces of chicken broth

Melt the butter in a large fry pan
Cook all the vegetables for about 5 minutes, or until they start to brown

Pour the chicken broth in a crock pot
Place the cooked veggies in the broth
Cover, set on high and let simmer for a couple hours, until the veggies are soft

Transfer the veggies with a little broth to a blender
Blend until smooth
Add broth as you need to help thin the soup until you have the desired consistency

If you would rather do this all on the stove top in a little less time just cook the veggies in a large pot then add the broth. Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to low. Simmer for 40-60 minutes. Until the vegetables are soft. Continue with the blender like above.

I liked that this soup was hearty, but not heavy. Does that make sense? It was good to eat something filling and delicious, but it didn't make me want to take a nap. I also loved that it was made with fresh vegetables, very healthy. Last thing, it was super easy. I'm all about convenience.