The sweetness of autumn

I do love autumn, don't you? When the leaves on the trees have turned their darkest green and there is a little sensation of coolness on the morning breeze and the air smells just a little more earthy you know it's time. Time to run a hand over a woolen jumper, time for boots, time for a cozy fire. Time for different pops of color for different flavors in the kitchen. Time to fall in love with a new season!

Let's head to my kitchen for the king of color ... Butternut Pumpkin or Butternut Squash soup!

For 4- 8 people (I cook leftovers or prep a next batch for the freezer)

• 1 large butternut - cubed (set half aside)
• 1 large onions - roughly chopped (frozen also works)
• 3 cloves of garlic (or as you wish) - minced
• 4 celery stalks with leaves (set half aside) - chopped
• 1 very large or 2 medium+ carrots (equal amount from the freezer is also good)
• 2 small to medium pears - peeled and chopped (plus 2 peeled and halved to blanch later) - the pears don't have to be too ripe
• 2 tablespoons of butter
• freshly cracked pepper
• salt only when needed
• 1 or 2 bay leaves (1 large, 2 smaller)
• 1 tsp celery powder
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1 to 1.5 teaspoons dry thyme (use fresh if you have it on hand, no problem)
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 2 to 3 vegetable bouillon cubes
• Fresh parsley chopped (use dried herbs in a pinch)
• Optional: 1 potato, peeled and cubed to help the soup thicken on its own

• Heat butter to sizzling
• Add half of the cubed butternut
• Season with black pepper
• Sautee until edges are golden  - or as you wish
• Add the onions
• Add celery
• Add pears
• Add carrots
• Stir and sautee for 15 minutes, stirring
• Stir in the garlic for about 2 or 3 minutes (do not give the garlic a chance to burn or it will be ruined)
• Season with pepper

• Top with water  to an inch over the rim of the veggies
• Add bouillon cubes
• Add bay leaf and all dried herbs (except for parsley)
• Let the soup simmer until all vegetables are tender
• Taste broth for flavor, add any herbs or pepper necessary - if you did, simmer another few minutes
• Remove thyme if fresh thyme was used
• Remove bay leaf

Two methods for mincing

1. Use a potato masher to mash the veg, creating a 3/4 minced soup or as desired.
2. For a smooth silky soup, use a staff mixes or blender. For this option you definitely want to use the potato

• Prepare the next portion of soup:
  • the other half of the cubed pumpkin
  • 2 celery stalks chopped
  • blanch 2 pears, halved, in water for a couple of minutes
  • drain and set aside to cool
  • add all of this to a freezer bag and freeze

The next time I was in the mood for butternut squash soup, I just grabbed the bag I'd already prepped from the freezer, threw in some frozen onions and carrots and made it a smooth soup.

Topping options

• Top with toasted pumpkin seeds and a little swirl of olive oil
• or can also give it a swirl of cream and a dash of cayenne pepper.
• or toast some old bread, cubed, fry in butter for home made crunchies

Enjoy!
Bren