Butternut Squash Soup
I have been making versions of this soup for a long time. I tend to make a lot of it, then freeze some for later. I tend to use the veggies I am likely to have on hand. Some, like onions, carrots, garlic and celery are always used.
I used a fresh squash that I peeled and cubed up, but you can use frozen or canned squash instead. Pumpkins work, too. Here is my latest version of this wonderful soup.
Butternut Squash Soup
2 qts. Water, or a bit more
1 ham bone or smoked turkey on the bone (1 small turkey drumstick)
2 onions, peeled and halved
3-4 cloves garlic, peeled- the ones I had were very large
3-4 carrots, peeled and chunked
4 c. chopped cabbage
2 ribs celery, sliced
1 c. tomato sauce – or a couple of cups of chopped fresh or canned tomatoes
8 cups cubed butternut squash- you could use pumpkin or most any winter squash
-OR- 3-4 c. cooked pumpkin or winter squash
Paste-type soup base to taste, about 3-4 tablespoons
1 fresh sage leaf or ¼ teaspoon dried
Hot sauce to taste
Place all ingredients, except soup base and seasonings, in a large pot and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer until vegetables are very tender and meat is cooked and tender, at least 1½ hours and up to 3 hours. Remove bone or meat to cool and add soup base and sage. Use an immersion blender to puree the vegetables. It does not have to be completely smooth, but it should be close. If it is too thick, you can add a little more water. Density is a personal preference. Add hot sauce to taste. Puree a little more. Adjust seasonings if needed. Optional: Cut the meat off the bones and return meat to the soup once pureed. Serves 6-8. Freezes well.
Note: I make it in even larger batches because this soup freezes well. You can add other vegetables like sweet potatoes, corn, potatoes, green beans or whatever else you have around. I often add cauliflower and zucchini. If you want thicker chowder add a potato or two to the recipe. For a smoky taste you can also add smoked turkey sausage and the soup will be cooked in less time. Just remove the sausage, puree the soup, slice sausage and return to the pot. Smoked paprika or liquid smoke can also be used to add a smoky flavor. This is a good way to use up a ham bone or leftover ham.
“Pumpkin” Ravioli Soup
Fall is the time for cooking with pumpkin and other winter squash. I make plenty of pumpkin bread, pumpkin cake, pumpkin soup, and so on. I often am actually using butternut or Hubbard squash in place of the pumpkin.
This was the case with this soup. I have made it with pumpkin before, but this time I had a butternut squash, so that is what I used. Many winter squash can be used in place of pumpkin in cooking.
After cooking up one of my butternut squash, I was looking for a way to use some of it in a soup. I decided to use the squash as a filling for ravioli, then just put the ravioli in the soup.
I played with the spices and added some butter to the filling, too. It needed that extra bit of fat for flavor. It worked well. I just cooked the ravioli right in the soup, but you could cook and eat the ravioli without soup at all.
If you want the ravioli without the soup, you would cook the ravioli in salted water. Once they are tender, drain and top with the sauce of your choice. I like brown butter with a little sage, but even a red sauce would be nice with these ravioli. Here is the recipe- for both the ravioli and the soup.
“Pumpkin” Ravioli Soup
Ravioli:
24 round won ton/dumpling wrappers
Filling:
1 cup cooked pumpkin or winter squash
2 T. softened butter
1 T. chopped parsley
1 t. paprika
1 t. nutmeg
½ t. garlic powder
Salt and pepper to taste
Pinch of cayenne
Soup:
2 T. oil or butter
2 onions, peeled and sliced
6 c. stock- chicken or veggie
3-4 carrots, peeled and sliced
2-3 c. thinly sliced collard greens- other greens could be used, I just had collards
Salt and pepper
Dash of hot sauce
Fresh chopped parsley
Combine ravioli filling. Adjust seasonings. Place a rounded tablespoonful of filling on one of the wrappers. Dampen edges with water and place another wrapper on top. Seal, pressing out as much air as possible. Continue with remaining filling and wrappers- you should have 12 raviolis in all. Set aside while making the soup.
Heat oil or butter in a pot and add the onions. Cook until onions are tender. Add stock and bring to a boil. Add carrots and collards and cook until veggies are tender. Add seasonings and bring soup to a boil. Add the raviolis and let the soup simmer gently until they are cooked- about 4 minutes. Stir a little to keep them from sticking, but gently. They get a lot bigger and are sort of delicate. Transfer gently with a large spoon to soup bowls and ladle over the soup. Serves 4- 6.
“Pumpkin” Ravioli Soup
“Pumpkin” Ravioli Soup
Fall is the time for cooking with pumpkin and other winter squash. I make plenty of pumpkin bread, pumpkin cake, pumpkin soup, and so on. I often am actually using butternut or Hubbard squash in place of the pumpkin.
This was the case with this soup. I have made it with pumpkin before, but this time I had a butternut squash, so that is what I used. Many winter squash can be used in place of pumpkin in cooking.
After cooking up one of my butternut squash, I was looking for a way to use some of it in a soup. I decided to use the squash as a filling for ravioli, then just put the ravioli in the soup.
I played with the spices and added some butter to the filling, too. It needed that extra bit of fat for flavor. It worked well. I just cooked the ravioli right in the soup, but you could cook and eat the ravioli without soup at all.
You would cook the ravioli in water. Once they are tender, drain and top with the sauce of your choice. I like brown butter with a little sage, but even a red sauce would be nice with these ravioli. Here is the recipe- for both the ravioli and the soup.
“Pumpkin” Ravioli Soup
Ravioli:
24 round won ton/dumpling wrappers
Filling:
1 cup cooked pumpkin or winter squash
2 T. softened butter
1 T. chopped parsley
1 t. paprika
1 t. nutmeg
½ t. garlic powder
Salt and pepper to taste
Pinch of cayenne
Soup:
2 T. oil or butter
2 onions, peeled and sliced
6 c. stock- chicken or veggie
3-4 carrots, peeled and sliced
2-3 c. thinly sliced collard greens
Salt and pepper
Dash of hot sauce
Fresh chopped parsley
Combine ravioli filling. Adjust seasonings. Place a rounded tablespoonful of filling on one of the wrappers. Dampen edges with water and place another wrapper on top. Seal, pressing out as much air as possible. Continue with remaining filling and wrappers- you should have 12 raviolis in all. Set aside while making the soup.
Heat oil or butter in a pot and add the onions. Cook until onions are tender. Add stock and bring to a boil. Add carrots and collards and cook until veggies are tender. Add seasonings and bring soup to a boil. Add the raviolis and let the soup simmer gently until they are cooked- about 4 minutes. Stir a little to keep them from sticking, but gently. They get a lot bigger and are sort of delicate. Transfer gently with a large spoon to soup bowls and ladle over the soup. Serves 4- 6.
Winter Squash Ravioli Soup
Squash Ravioli Soup
After cooking up a Hubbard squash, I was looking for a way to use some of it in a soup. It is chilly here and I was in the mood for soup, but I wasn’t in the mood for a pureed soup. I found inspiration in my freezer. I was putting some of the squash in the freezer, when I noticed a package of won ton wrappers. I decided to use the squash as a filling for ravioli, then just put the ravioli in the soup. I played with the spices and added some butter to the filling, too. It needed that extra bit of fat for flavor. It worked well. I just cooked the ravioli right in the soup, but you could also enjoy them without soup at all. You can just cook the ravioli in water. Once they are tender, drain and top with the sauce of your choice. I like brown butter with a little sage, but even a red sauce would be nice with the ravioli. Here is the recipe- for both the ravioli and the soup. Almost any winter squash or pumpkin could work in the filling, too.
Squash Ravioli Soup
Ravioli:
24 round won ton/dumpling wrappers
Filling:
1 cup cooked winter squash or pumpkin
2 T. softened butter
1 T. chopped parsley
1 t. paprika
1 t. nutmeg
½ t. garlic powder
Salt and pepper to taste
Pinch of cayenne
Soup:
2 T. oil or butter
2 onions, peeled and sliced
6 c. stock- chicken or veggie
3-4 carrots, peeled and sliced
2-3 c. thinly sliced collard greens
Salt and pepper
Dash of hot sauce
Fresh chopped parsley
Combine ravioli filling. Adjust seasonings. Place a rounded tablespoonful of filling on one of the wrappers. Dampen edges with water and place another wrapper on top. Seal, pressing out as much air as possible. Continue with remaining filling and wrappers- you should have 12 raviolis in all. Set aside while making the soup.
Heat oil or butter in a pot and add the onions. Cook until onions are tender. Add stock and bring to a boil. Add carrots and collards and cook until veggies are tender. Add seasonings and bring soup to a boil. Add the raviolis and let the soup simmer gently until they are cooked- about 4 minutes. Stir a little to keep them from sticking, but gently. They get a lot bigger and are sort of delicate. Transfer gently with a large spoon to soup bowls and ladle over the soup. Serves 4- 6.
Pumpkin Bisque
Pumpkin Bisque
What’s in a name? When I make this soup I actually almost never use pumpkin. Every Fall I stock up on Winter squashes like butternut, acorn, Hubbard and more. A few pumpkins, too. Eventually I cut them up and roast them. Once cooled they are pureed and frozen to use throughout the year. Pretty much any package I pull out of the freezer is as likely squash as pumpkin. I am not sure it really matters. I love butternut and Hubbard the most of the winter squashes, but in this soup any of the squash or pumpkins add a similar sweetness that works. The soup is easy to make and takes almost no time at all. Great for when you need something to warm you up – fast.
Pumpkin Bisque
2 T. butter
¼ c. chopped onion
½ t. ginger
1 T. flour
2 c. cooked pumpkin
2 c. chicken broth
2 c. milk
salt and pepper to taste
Sauté butter, onion and ginger. Stir in flour. Add pumpkin and cook 5 minutes. Add broth and milk and stir often until heated through. Adjust seasonings. Serves 4-6.
