Butternut Squash Soup

Week after week our stockpile of butternut squash from the CSA has been growing. Luckily they last a long time. I decided to consult allrecipes.com to figure out how to use them. I have found several great recipes from this site. If 1,500 people say it's good, I usually agree.

Here is the butternut squash soup recipe from allrecipes.com:

Ingredients

• 6 tablespoons chopped onion
• 4 tablespoons margarine
• 6 cups peeled and cubed butternut squash
• 3 cups water
• 4 cubes chicken bouillon
• 1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
• 2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese

Directions

1. In a large saucepan, saute onions in margarine until tender. Add squash, water, bouillon, marjoram, black pepper and cayenne pepper. Bring to boil; cook 20 minutes, or until squash is tender.
2. Puree squash and cream cheese in a blender or food processor in batches until smooth. Return to saucepan, and heat through. Do not allow to boil.

I did make a few adjustments to the recipe. I used just one package of cream cheese and a quarter cup of sour cream. (The sour cream probably wasn't necessary, but it was going to expire soon) I did not peel and cube the squash. I cut them in half and microwaved for about eight minutes. Then I easily scooped the squash out of the skin. This also reduced the cooking time since the squash was already tender. I also threw in a handful of fresh spinach while blending to add some extra color.

The soup was a hit at Grandma Kregel's birthday party. My dad has requested that I make more for Thanksgiving. If you ever find yourself with more butternut squash then you know what to do with, I recommend this soup!

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