Autumn is my favorite season, and the foods that accompany the leaves changing is one of the big reasons. Mulled wine, hot cider, and pie make my heart do a happy dance.
Lately I've been slightly obsessed with pumpkin, both the smell and the fruit (go to Bath and Body Works RIGHT NOW and get some sweet cinnamon pumpkin lotion. Thank me later.) I'm also a big fan of soup because it's fairly easy, you can make a ton of it at once, and it's just cozy. I love cozy.
So when I found myself with a butternut squash, a can of pumpkin, and an inordinate amount of free time, I decided to BS my way into some soup. I didn't use a recipe for this, and it turned out pretty awesome, if I do say so myself.
What you'll need:
A butternut squash (you can get a whole one or the kind that's already cubed; if you get a whole one you will only need half of it)
a can of unsweetened pumpkin
half a can of cream of chicken or 3 cups chicken broth
spices to taste (we liked sea salt and nutmeg)
What you'll do:
If you have chicken broth, pour 3 cups in your pot and simmer on low. If you don't (like I didn't), you can fake it by diluting half a cup of cream of chicken in 3 cups hot water. If you're doing that, turn up the heat a bit more and stir occasionally.
While that's heating, cut up your squash (or, if you got lucky, toss your pre-cubed squash in the food processor). Turn it on and chop it up until its almost a paste - the same consistency as your canned pumpkin. Throw some spices in there while its chopping for the yums.
Once everything is chopped up, add it slowly to your chicken broth, stirring to mix it all together. Leave it on low heat (about a 3) until everything is mixed smoothly, then leave it on simmer until ready to serve, adding spices to taste.
If you got a whole squash, you can roast the seeds like you would pumpkin seeds for an easy, protein-y snack. Just put them in a flat pan, add whatever spices you like (garlic for salty, cinnamon for sweet are my favorites), and roast at 350 for about 12 minutes. That's it!
This is my first foray into homemade fall food, and I'm thrilled it went so well! I can't wait to try all my other fall recipes in the coming months.
