For the Love of Butternut

Though it's been an alarmingly warm October, I've started hitting fall hard: pumpkin spice donuts, hot apple cider and pumpkin beer, which I hadn't had until last week. It doesn't exist in Scotland (I don't think?), and the last time I was in the States to experience this explosion of autumnal spirit was 2009, woefully far away from legal drinking. 

autumn begins

Unsurprisingly, my favorite variety of squash is butternut. It's the most widely used, perhaps because it is the most forgiving. It's got a distinctly warm and loveable flavor, and the creamy texture lends itself well to a variety of applications - you don't have to deal with stringy acorn or chewy spaghetti.

This recipe is nothing if not a snuggly, spicy, orange celebration of the season. My basic requirements for most recipes these days all the same: must be delicious, cheap, require minimal equipment and freeze well. That last one is essential when you're cooking for one or come home exhausted from work on a Wednesday night and need to convince yourself not to order takeout for the third or tenth night in a row. This soup fits all these requirements, and 3/4 of the batch is resting happily in my freezer, waiting to save me from myself. To add a little something different, I like to turn the peels into a little crispy, sassy garnish. This also reduces waste - important when you live in an apartment building without compost (and where taking out the trash is straight up annoying).  

Fun Fact: Whole pieces of ginger actually keep in the freezer. You can just whip it out and grate as much as you need, whenever you need it! 

Bangin' Butternut Soup with a Sassy Garnish 

INGREDIENTS
For the soup 
1/2 a white or yellow onion 
1 whole butternut squash
2 tsbp coconut oil (or whatever's in the cupboard) 
1 tbsp grated fresh ginger
5 cups stock or water 
salt & pepper to taste

For the garnish
Butternut squash peels 
1 tsp smoked paprika 
Pinch of salt 
1 tbsp olive oil 

Any fancy equipment? 

• A microplane or other grater 
• A blender or food processor (optional)

METHOD
For the soup
Preheat your soup pot with the coconut oil. Chop your onion into a medium dice and add it to the pan once the oil is hot. Take a 1/2 inch by 1/2 inch piece of ginger and peel it. The easiest way is with a spoon - simply use it as you would a knife when peeling a potato. Grate the ginger into the onion, stir, and cook over low heat. You don't want it to caramelize, just sizzle gently. 

Chopping butternut squash is awkward and there's not a lot we can do. But here are some tips that make it less dangerous: 

1. Have a sharp knife, folks. This makes knife work far less dangerous.
2. Turn it on its side and chop the skinny top half off, so you are working with two pieces. 
3. Cut a bit off the bottom half so you are working with a flat surface, then cut this half in half.

You survived unscathed! Now it's up to you. I like to peel and then scoop the seeds out (save and toast them!) before chopping the flesh into a one-inch dice. Tumble the pieces into the pot with the onions and sauté for a few minutes before covering with water or stock. Bring the whole lot to a simmer and let it cook for about half an hour, until the squash is soft. 

onions & ginger pre-squash

finished soup pre-blending

If you want you can blend it, like I did, or you can just smash it with a fork or potato masher to give it a bit of a rougher texture - totally up to you. 

For the garnish

This can be done while the soup is 

bubbling away on the stove. All you do is take the peels, toss with the other ingredients and pop it all into a 400F oven for about 15 minutes until brown and crispy. If you can wait to use them as garnish, teach me how. I tend to burn my fingers picking at them straight out of the oven.

I served the soup with some buttered, toasted cranberry rye bread. HAPPY EATING!