October is Squash

This soup..., seriously. EVERY time I make it, my husband is awestruck, guests marvel and everyone but my kids devour it.


This weekend past, my friend Sarah, who has been shortlisted for the Giller prize for her collection of short stories This Cake is for the Party, came to Sudbury for a book reading. I made this soup and wowed her too. 


My friend Melanie and I used to do a soup swap and she introduced this soup to me, I am forever grateful. Imagine my joy when I discovered a local butternut squash. I've planted three years running and never succeeded - I've saved the seeds from this butternut, hoping to have backyard butternuts next year.




Butternut Cream Soup

2 tbs butter
1 large onion chopped
3 cloves of minced garlic
1 1/2 tsp curry powder
2 tsp minced ginger root
1/2 tsp salt and pepper
5 cups cubed peeled butternut squash 
1 large potato peeled and diced
4 cups veg stock
1/3 cup of milk 
OPTIONAL 2 tbs lemon juice
2 tbs tomato paste-backyard


Saute onion, garlic, ginger, curry powder and s&p until onions are transparent, Stir in squash and potato cook for 1 min add stock lemon juice and tomato paste, bring to a boil and reduce heat and simmer until tender (20 min) Puree and slowly add milk. Taste to adjust seasoning.


This soup is very forgiving, for my guest this weekend, who are vegan, I replaced the butter with olive oil, skipped the milk, couldn't find a potato so subbed in a zucchini, forgot the ginger and tomato paste and still the soup rocked! 


Shannon D.