I’ve been on a soup making kick since I’ve been back in Chicago, after traveling from Missoula and Orlando. The stark contrast of below zero temps in Montana and the warmer (70 degree!) Florida weather created the need for me to keep warm from the inside out once I was back in the 20-40 degree temps of Chicago (because we like to keep it consistent in these parts). ;) This creamy butternut squash soup was a welcome warmth that satisfied what I was looking for.
Make It Dairy Free
You may think that all cream soups contain dairy, and most grocery store or restaurant-made soups do in fact make them that way. However, when you are living a dairy-free lifestyle and paying more attention to what you’re putting into your body, making a creamy soup at home can be quicker and easier than you may expect.
This creamy squash paleo soup is made with very few ingredients. A minimalist recipe, if you will.
Alternative Tools For Making Soup
If this is your first time making soup at home, you have several approaches to finishing this soup off. Boiling the squash is the easy part, it’s turning the squash into soup that can require the use of secondary tools.
If you have an immersion blender (also known as a stick blender) this will make your life easier. Simply plug it in, stick it in the pot, turn it on high (or low, if you want to take your time), and let the tiny little blade attack your ingredients and turn it into a baby food consistency.
If you don’t have an immersion blender but you have a regular ole countertop blender (or a high powered monster like a Vitamix) then that’s your second option for turning soft, cooked butternut squash into a soupy consistency. When you use this option you will want to transfer the liquid back to the pot to keep it warm.
If you don’t have either type of blender but you have a food processor and you’re thinking you can use that, I would ask that you think again. You should use blenders for liquids and food processors for more thick consistencies (think pesto and the like). When using the food processor to make liquids, like soup, you run the risk of losing some of your precious ingredients when you lift the blade out of your food processor and it slides down the center spout. So please, please disregard those recipes and people who recommend using your blender or food processor to liquify anything.
A final alternative I have for you, if you don’t have any of the tools I mentioned above, is to use a potato masher, a fork and spoon. It’s very basic but quite useful and they can be used to get the job done. Maybe you won’t get your soup as smooth as you would with either of the above mentioned tools but it will be your own style of creamed squash soup and it will be good. :)
