Autumn Squash Soup

Fall has officially arrived!  I love everything about fall – the crisp air, the scarves, sweaters and boots, and the food!  Although it’s about 90° outside, inside it’s a cool 72° where I can cook and bake fall favorites!

I’m obsessed with Panera Bread’s Autumn Soup! I mean, who isn’t? I’m more obsessed with it than I am with pumpkin spice coffee (and that says a lot). This Autumn Squash Soup is my copycat version of Panera’s soup. This soup is the perfect starter for a Thanksgiving meal.  You can make it ahead and warm it up before serving it. It also freezes well and it’s a hectic weekday meal with a light salad or crusty bread.

The first time I served butternut squash soup was about 15 years ago when my cousin was introducing her fiance at our large family Thanksgiving dinner.  Have you seen My Big Fat Greek Wedding?  Well that gives you a general idea what he was up against.  Talk about pressure!  Did I say he’s a vegetarian?   Well that alone was challenging since we are a meat eating family and we really didn’t have “vegetarian” recipes.  I wanted to ensure all my guests enjoyed the holiday meal so I made some vegetarian courses with him in mind – this soup was the starter. I was pleasantly surprised how much everyone loved the soup. Since then, I’ve made it every fall with the few adjustments along the way.

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Start by dividing the butternut squash in half and removing the seeds (don’t discard them – we will roast them to use as garnish).  Rub some olive oil, salt and pepper, sprinkle a little thyme on the squash and roast it for 45 minutes to an hour at 375°F.    Allow it to cool before handling, removing the skin and cut into chunks. Set aside. 
Note:  You could peel and cut the squash into chunks before roasting.   You can also skip roasting the squash and add the chunks to the soup, just cook it longer until they are fork tender. I tell myself there’s nutritional value in keeping the skin, so I roast with and remove later. 

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In a large dutch oven sauté the diced onion in a little extra virgin olive oil over medium heat until they are tender and translucent.   Add the garlic, carrots, spices and sauté for a minute stirring frequently.  I like to sauté the spices for a minute so they can release their fragrance.

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Slowly add broth remove any brown bits from the bottom of the pot. Add the chunks of roasted squash, pumpkin puree, apple juice, bay leaf, salt and pepper to taste and stir to combine. Cover and simmer over medium heat for 15-20 minutes. Remove the bay leaf. Add cream cheese and cream. Stir and blend until the cream cheese is melted through. Add cream cheese, cream and stir until the cream cheese has melted through.
Note:  When the squash comes out of the oven, reduce the oven temperature to 350°.  Season the clean, dry seeds with salt and pepper and roast them for about 8 minutes.  Remove and set them aside to cool.

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Using an immersion blender, puree all the ingredients in the pot.   Taste your soup and reseason, as needed. If the soup is too thick, just add a little extra stock or water to thin the soup to your desired consistency. Garnish with a dollop of sour cream,  roasted seeds and dried cranberries.
Note:  If you don’t have a hand held immersion blender, allow all the ingredients to come to room temperature before blending in a standard blender in batches.  Don’t blend the soup while it’s hot.  Hot liquids tend to explode in a blender, and no one needs a trip to the emergency room.  

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