Cream of Butternut Squash and Chipotle Soup
 
Ingredients
  • 1 large butternut squash
  • Olive oil
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 2 stocked of celery, chopped
  • 2 carrots, peeled and chopped
  • 1 russet potato, peeled and chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 4 cups chicken stock, give or take
  • 2 chipotle chilies in adobo sauce
  • ¼ cup heavy cream
  • ½ cup sour cream, for the soup, and another ¼ cup for garnish
  • 2-3 heathy splashes dry white wine
  • ¼ teaspoon cumin
  • 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, grated
  • Salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
  1. Cut the butternut squash in half from the top to the bottom, or if possible, have your produce man do it and save your knife and possibly a finger.
  2. Scoop out the seeds and place both halves cut side up on a baking sheet, and smear with a little olive oil. Salt and pepper both sides and place in a 400 degree oven for 45 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool.
  3. While that cools, sauté the onion, carrots and celery over a medium heat with a pinch of salt for about 8 minutes until they start to soften up (do not let them brown).
  4. Add the garlic, and stir that in. Add the potatoes, and continue to sauté until they are coated and heated through (about a couple more minutes).
  5. Take the squash and scoop out all the tender flesh, being careful not to get any of the skin, and add that to the pot.
  6. Add the cumin and enough stock to cover, and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to a simmer, and add a little white wine. Cover and let simmer for about 40 minutes, checking and stirring occasionally.
  7. When the vegetables are all thoroughly cooked, remove from the heat and let cool a few minutes.
  8. Take a couple chipotle peppers and mince, and add it to the soup. You may want to seed them before you add them. Two will make it fairly spicy, and the last thing you want to do is over do it on the chili; you can always add more later, but it is impossible to correct if you take it too far here.
  9. Take an immersion blender and purée the soup until smooth. If you don't have an immersion blender, puree it in a regular blender in 2-3 batches then return it to the pot. Return the pot to the stove and put it on medium low heat.
  10. Stir in the sour cream and heavy cream until completely blended.
  11. Slowly add the cheese, and stir until it has melted into the soup.
  12. Remove from the heat, and taste. You will probably need to add some salt, and other seasoning if necessary. You can add more stock if it is too thick.
  13. To serve, spoon the soup into bowl, and add a spoon of sour cream to each bowl. Drag a knife though to make it look pretty, and you are good to go. Enjoy!
Recipe by Have You Eaten, SF? at https://haveyoueatensf.com/cream-of-butternut-squash-and-chipotle-soup/