Butternut Squash And Cheddar Soup With Crispy Stuffing Muffin

Butternut Squash & Cheddar Soup With Stuffing Muffins, www.goodfoodgourmet.com
With the cold rapidly setting in, I picked up a butternut  squash to make some soup.  I have used acorn squash in the past, so just about anything works. After making my cheddar squash lasagna, I discovered how well these two flavors go together. I began to crave some warm soup with some good cheddar (or port cheddar)  melted into it. I also had one cup left of stuffing and I was not going to let that go to waste. I added it to a greased ramekin and heated it up in the oven to crisp it up. When the soup was ready, I served up a huge bowl and put the stuffing muffin right in the center. When it was gone, I wanted more. This soup will not be an afterthought next year, but a regular part of the holiday menu.

Cheddar Squash Soup With Crispy Stuffing Muffin 
4 cups butternut squash
2 tablespoons olive oil
S&P
2 cups chicken stock, warm
1 cup half & half, warm (or heavy cream)
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 cup shredded cheddar (or 1 small container of Wise brand port wine cheddar)
1 large stuffing muffin, baked until crispy

Wash the squash and cut in half with a very sharp knife. Scrape out the seeds from inside and set aside in another bowl if you plan to use them. Generously salt and pepper the inside of each half of the squash, and put 1 tablespoon of olive oil in each and swirl around to coat the entire interior of the squash. Once you have done this, lay the squash, cut side down onto a small sheet pan with a little water and bake in a 350°F oven for about 45 minutes, or until a knife inserted into the skin comes out easily. Once it has completely cooked thru allow this to cool so that you can handle it easily and spoon to scrape out all of the cooked pulp from the inside. You should get about 4 cups, if you have a little more that is OK.  Once you have finished this, pass the pulp through a large sieve to remove any fibers and place it in a small stock pot. Add the 2 cups of chicken stock, and heat through gently. Add cheddar and stir until it has melted into the soup. Add the half and half and heat through again, then add the cumin and taste for salt and pepper. Stir the soup until it starts to thicken slightly and serve.

Cheddar Squash Soup With Crispy Stuffing Muffin, www.goodfoodgourmet.com


Comments

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *