Butternut Squash Soup

Perfect for early fall, this seasonal soup will highlight any meal with its taste as well as its lovely color. 

Ingredients:
1 medium to large butternut squash (about 3 ½ pounds), halved and seeded
3 tablespoons unsalted butter or vegetable oil
2 large leeks (white part only), cleaned thoroughly and chopped
1/2 cup Stone Hill Cream Sherry
6 cups chicken or vegetable stock, separated
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Place butternut squash halves cut side down on an oiled baking sheet. Bake until the squash can easily be pierced with a fork, about one hour. Let cool, then scoop the pulp from the squash skin and discard the skin.

Melt or heat unsalted butter or vegetable oil in a soup pot, over medium-low heat. Add chopped leeks, cooking and stirring until tender but not browned, 5 to 10 minutes.

De-glaze pan with Stone Hill Cream Sherry. Stir in the squash along with four cups of chicken or vegetable stock. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring and breaking the squash with a spoon, for 20 minutes. Remove from pot and puree in blender until smooth.

Return to the pot and stir in remaining 2 cups of chicken or vegetable stock, heavy cream and kosher salt. Heat through. Ladle into warmed bowls.

Garnish Suggestions:
Chopped fresh parsley or cilantro
Croutons (We used pumpernickel)
Toasted squash seeds (Instructions below)

Makes about 9 cups.

Options:
Although this soup calls for butternut squash, almost any winter squash–including delicata, hubbard, and acorn squash, and pie pumpkins–can be substituted. For an unusual garnish, rinse and dry the squash seeds, toss them in 1 1/2 teaspoons oil to lightly coat, and bake them along with the squash until browned, then sprinkle them on the soup just before serving.

For a vegetarian dish, use vegetable stock instead of chicken stock.

Adapted from a Joy of Cooking recipe.

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