Acorn Squash Soup

Well, our oven was broken for a few weeks surrounding Christmas.  To get around the oven issue we pulled out one of the extra large countertop ovens we have in the basement.  I have a confession to make.  I own 3 toaster ovens.  The first one we got for our wedding and we love and use every day.  It is nice and compact and fits on our countertop.  I have discovered that in a pinch you can cook a small pie in this toaster oven if needed for, say, a renaissance party.  The second countertop oven is a really nice Breville oven that my in-laws got me for Christmas a few years back.  That oven is nice and roomy and can fit a large pie in it.  We have used it for several parties.  The third oven is a GIANT Hamilton Beach oven that our friends Andrew and Emma gave to us. I used to covet this giant oven that sat on Andrew’s countertop.  They must have noticed because when they moved into a new apartment they brought it over to us.  This is the oven we took out of the basement to use while our other oven was dead.  This oven can fit not one, but TWO full sized frozen pizzas in it!!!

After I fixed the oven (it turned out the bottom coil was no longer conductive – only cost $60 to replace it!) I made lots of things that involved roasting.  I still had several acorn squash that I needed to use up from the farm share last fall so I decided to experiment with a soup.  My favorite way of preparing acorn squash is to cut it up into rings then roast with butter and brown sugar.  I adapted that method into a soup.  It was very simple.  Will deemed it “excellent” and he ate almost all of it by himself.  I consider that a triumph!  Let me know what you think of it if you try it!

Acorn Squash Soup

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 2 medium acorn squash
• 2 carrots, peeled and diced
• 2 celery, diced
• 1 small onion, diced
• 2 tbsp butter
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 2 tbsp lt brown sugar
• Salt and pepper to taste
• ¼ cup whole milk or heavy cream

1. Cut acorn squash in half, scoop and discard insides.
2. Place cut side down on a pan drizzled with olive oil, poke holes in skin of squash with a fork.
3. Roast at 400 for 35 minutes or until soft. Let cool then scrape squash from its shell into a bowl.  Set aside, discarding shell.
4. While the squash is roasting, chop your veggies.  Saute the veggies in 2 tbsp butter in a heavy bottomed stockpot until soft.
5. Add in 2 cups chicken broth and squash from step 2.  Bring to a simmer.  Simmer for 20 minutes.
6. Remove pot from heat and puree with an immersion blender until smooth.  (Or puree in batches in a blender).
7. Stir in 2 tbsp brown sugar and salt and pepper to taste.
8. Finally stir in milk or cream and serve.  Garnish with a swirl of heavy cream if desired.