Autumn in the Northeast. The leaves are falling, the temperature dropping. The corn will soon be harvested and the jackets are out. There’s nothing like a bowl of soup and a snuggly blanket in late October…
I’m on a fennel kick. Fennel and fish. Fennel and chickpeas. And now fennel and butternut squash. After perusing several cooking blogs and the food channel site, I came up with my own version of Butternut Squash Soup. Here it is.
2 butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into cubes
1 fennel bulb, greens removed and sliced
1/2 granny smith apple peeled, cored and diced
olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, pressed
2 springs fresh thyme (stems removed)(or 1/2 tsp. dried)
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 cup white wine
1 32 oz. box of low sodium chicken stock (I generally use organic)
1/2 c. heavy whipping cream
salt and pepper to taste
Preheat oven 400° or 375° convection bake.
Prepare the butternut squash and place on baking sheet
Prepare the fennel bulb and place on top of squash
Toss on just enough olive oil to coat both. Lightly salt and pepper
Roast in the oven for about 20 minutes stirring once
In a 6-quart pot, pour enough olive oil to lightly coat bottom of pot.
Sauté onion until partially cooked and slightly browned.
Add all other ingredients and cook until apple feels tender, approximately 45 minutes to an hour.
Allow to cool for either the blender or processor. Either blend or process in batches as it fits into your machine without making a huge mess.
Pour back into pot and add cream.
Salt and pepper to your taste.
I liked the soup a lot. But, I wanted something more. What could I add to make it more interesting? The following day, in preparation of eating the leftovers, I got an idea. Cinnamon, honey croutons! Here is what I created with some leftover Ciabatta bread.
2 thick slices of ciabatta bread, cut into cubes
2 T. softened butter
2 T. honey
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
pinch paprika
Mix all ingredients except bread together. Melt in pot or in bowl in microwave. Place bread on cookie sheet or baking pan. Coat bread with the melted butter mixture. Bake in oven until browned. I used a 400° oven and watched carefully. The length of cooking time depends on your oven and the freshness of the bread. Be careful, though, browning comes quickly and croutons can easily burn!
These croutons added just the right touch to this very creamy, thick soup.
Enjoy.