Winter Squash Soup

JackieOhNo!'s Note:

Good Food Magazine, October 1986. Pairs nicely with Country Ham on Biscuits for a perfect, comforting meal on cold-weather days.

• Total Time: 1 hrs 15 mins
• Prep Time: 30 mins
• Cook Time: 45 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 6

• 1/2 cup butter
• 2 medium onions, sliced
• 1 leek, well rinsed, sliced
• 2 large garlic cloves, lightly crushed with flat of knife
• 1 tart cooking apple, pared, cored, sliced
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 butternut squash, about 3 lbs., pared, seeded, cut into 1-inch cubes
• 2 sweet potatoes, pared, cut into 1-inch cubes
• 6 cups chicken broth
• 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 piece cinnamon stick (about 1 inch)
• 1/2 cup half-and-half
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1 cup frozen baby peas, thawed
• salt & freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
• 2 scallions, thinly sliced on diagonal

Directions:

1. Heat butter in large heavy pot over medium heat. Add onions, leek, garlic, apple, thyme, and bay leaf and cook until onions start to throw off liquid, about 5 minutes. Add squash, sweet potatoes, broth, allspice, cloves, and cinnamon. Heat to boiling. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered until squash is very tender, about 30 minutes.
2. Remove bay leaf and cinnamon stick; let soup cool slightly. Transfer to blender or food processor and puree until very smooth. Strain back into pot.
3. Mix half-and-half, cream, and sour cream. Heat soup over low heat and gradually whisk in cream mixture. Stir in peas. Gently heat until peas are hot, but do not let soup boil. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Ladle soup into bowls. Sprinkle with parsley and scallions.

Reviews

[Ellaskat]

This is awesome and so easy to make. I bake and freeze my squash in the fall and then pull it out in recipe portions to cook over the winter. This is sooooo easy so flavorful and makes me feel good when i need a pick me up that only a good soup can give.

[Pink_Diamond]

Very nice flavourful soup. I used acorn squash as I had lots that needed to be used up and I omited the peas, but other then that the recipe was followed as listed. Will make this one again, thanks for sharing.

[Sydney Mike]

Very, very nice tasting soup you have here, & I suspect it'd be even better if I'd used the chicken broth, but this 1st time I made it to serve a couple of vegetarians so I used vegetable broth! Still, we enjoyed the melding of flavors from the squash & sweet potatoes ~ Definitely a keeper of a recipe! [Tagged & made in Please Review My Recipe]