Butternut Squash Soup

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 medium onion, chopped ( ½ cup)
• 1 butternut squash (2 lb), peeled, seeded and cubed*
• 2 cups chicken broth (for homemade broth, see page 528 )
• ½ teaspoon dried marjoram leaves
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• ⅛ teaspoon ground red pepper (cayenne)
• 1 package (8 oz) cream cheese, cubed

Instructions

1. 1Melt the butter in a 3-quart saucepan over medium heat, then cook the chopped onion until it becomes crisp and tender, stirring occasionally.
2. 2Stir in the cubed butternut squash, chicken broth, marjoram, black pepper, and cayenne pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat, cover the pan, and let it simmer for 12 to 15 minutes until the squash is completely tender.
3. 3Transfer one-third of the hot soup mixture and one-third of the cubed cream cheese into a blender or food processor. Secure the lid and blend on high speed until completely smooth, pausing to scrape down the sides if necessary.
4. 4Repeat the blending process two more times with the remaining soup and cream cheese. Pour the smooth puree back into the saucepan and warm it over medium heat while whisking constantly until hot, making sure it does not boil.
5. 5Stir in a little extra chicken broth if you prefer a thinner soup.
6. 6To make peeling easier, pierce the whole butternut squash in several places with a knife to let steam escape during microwaving.
7. 7Set the pierced squash on a paper towel and microwave on high power for 4 to 6 minutes until the skin is firm but easy to slice, then let it cool slightly before peeling.
8. 8To prepare the soup in a slow cooker, melt the butter in a 10-inch skillet over medium heat and cook the onion until crisp and tender.
9. 9Coat a slow cooker with cooking spray, then combine the cooked onion with the squash, broth, marjoram, black pepper, and cayenne pepper inside the pot.
10. 10Cover and cook on the low heat setting for 6 to 8 hours. Once tender, blend the soup in batches until smooth.
11. 11Pour the blended soup back into the slow cooker and whisk in the cubed cream cheese.
12. 12Cover and continue cooking on low for about 30 minutes, whisking occasionally until the cheese melts completely and the soup is velvety.
13. 13To serve with an optional sweet topping, prepare the base soup as directed.
14. 14Mix your desired sweet and crunchy garnish ingredients in a small bowl until well coated.
15. 15Top each bowl of soup with a spoonful of the prepared garnish before serving.
16. 16To prepare the raw squash manually, cut 1 inch from the top and bottom, then peel off the skin with a vegetable peeler down to the darker orange flesh.
17. 17Slice the peeled squash in half lengthwise, scoop out the seeds and stringy membranes with a spoon, and chop the remaining flesh into cubes.

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