As the nights get colder and we slog through another sleepless Red Sox postseason, Bostonist starts thinking about squash. Butternut squash soup, to be precise. Warm, comforting, and economical, it makes an excellent one-pot meal.
One of our favorite recipes is from Jack Bishop’s A Year in a Vegetarian Kitchen. Bishop’s butternut squash soup with chipotle chiles and garlic really packs a punch—you’d never guess that it contains only a handful of ingredients. (Plus a few more, if you’re willing to take the time to make the paprika-brown sugar croutons, which are definitely worth it.)
Recipe after the jump! Post written by and photo taken by Lisa Scanlon.
Soup:
1 3-pound butternut squash
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 medium garlic cloves, minced
2 small canned chipotle chiles in adobo sauce, minced, with 1 teaspoon adobo sauce
5 cups water
salt to taste
minced cilantro (for garnish, if desired)
Croutons:
2 slices sandwich bread, cut into 1-inch squares
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon sweet paprika
½ teaspoon light brown sugar
salt to taste
1. Peel the squash and cut it into 1-inch cubes.
2. Heat the oil and garlic in a large, heavy pot over medium heat until the garlic is golden. Add the chiles and adobo sauce and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds (watch out here: this part can really sting your eyes). Add the squash and stir until coated with garlic and chiles. Add the water and salt to taste and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover, and simmer briskly until the squash is very soft, about 30 min.
3. Puree the soup using an immersion blender. (Or you could puree the soup in batches in a blender.) Add salt to taste, and garnish with cilantro.
4. For the croutons: Toss the bread with the rest of the ingredients, and toast in a 375 degree oven for 10 minutes until toasted and crisp.
Recipe adapted from A Year in a Vegetarian Kitchen.
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