Butternut Squash Soup

The focus of today’s Friend Making Monday is sharing a favorite recipe for this time of year.  The browns-oranges-reds-yellows outside plus the crisp weather makes me want to snuggle up to a bowl of soup.  A dear friend from South Africa introduced me to this soup, and when I went searching for a recipe to make it at home I came across this one on the Web:

PAUL'S FAMOUS BUTTERNUT SOUP (serves 6 as a starter)

1 fresh butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cubed
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 cups of chicken stock (I use chicken broth) 
Half a cup cream
1 tsp curry powder
A squirt of Worcestershire sauce
Salt and black pepper

1. Toss the chopped onion and garlic in a pot and sauté, don't burn or caramelise. They must be translucent but still white.
2. Add the peeled butternut and chicken stock and bring to the boil.
3. When the butternut is soft, mash (as in MASH, don't liquidise or pulverise!)
4. Add the other ingredients and stir.
5. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
6. And eat.

Beware of adding to much salt. It's the cream that makes all the difference.

Last week I was too lazy to look for couldn’t find the the recipe, so I boiled the cubed squash in the broth, mashed it, forgot about the cream and added some apple juice, with some curry powder and a dash of salt.  My family loved it!  (My South African friend’s recipe called for apples, and apple juice or applesauce works great.)  This is an easy way for me to get the kids to eat squash and gain the benefits of beta-carotene and the many nutrients it contains.  Enjoy!