Recipe: Winter Squash Soup

Butternut squash soup - my version adapted from this recipe:

1 large butternut squash - peeled and cubed

2 tablespoons olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 medium onion - diced

4 cups water

4 vegetable bouillon cubes

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 eight oz. package cream cheese softened

Coat squash with a bit of olive oil and salt and pepper.  Roast on 400 degrees F until is soft.  Add butter and onions to a saucepan  I used a cast iron dutch oven for this dish and it worked great.  Heat onions through until tender.  Add in water, bouillon, roasted squash, cayenne, oregano and a bit more ground black pepper to taste.  Bring to a boil and then reduce heat.  Let the mixture simmer for about 45 minutes, then turned the burner off, add the lid and let sit for another 45 minutes.  This method allows the mixture to thicken considerably - a perfect base for a hearty soup.  Next add the 8 oz. of cream cheese and half of the squash soup mixture to the VitaMix blender.  Start off at variable 5 to let the ingredients mix together a bit.  Add the remaining squash soup mixture to the VitaMix and speed it up to variable 10.  Let the soup run in the VitaMix for a few minutes on variable 10 and then soup is ready to serve.

Images and design: Rebecca Tollefsen