blog love + squash love = soup recipe

i have a thing for blogs. i devour them (like they’e freshly baked cookies) every morning. is it because i love to read? or maybe it’s because im nosy and just like knowing what everyone else is doing.

i dont comment very often, i dont enter  the giveaways, and i probably only make 1/37th of the recipes i read.

am i a virtual foodie version of a peeping tom?

my creepster disguises.

so what is it that keeps me coming back? is it a mutual love of oats that brings me back to most of these blogs? or is it the pretty pictures of blogger x’s morning coffee? in most cases, it’s the recipes and workouts. reading that someone you’ve never met has created the best cookie recipe ever, or run their 814th marathon, or rearranged their living room furniture (again) is great, but im not gonna lie here… its the food.

the funny part to me is that i cant follow a recipe to save my life. some part of me is ALWAYS compelled to change something about a recipe.. even if its perfect to begin with. that said, sometimes i make some great choices.

heres one:

since this photo was taken, ive probably made this soup 6 times. in a month.

Butternut Squash Soup

makes about 4 HUGE servings or 6-7 smaller ones

-1 medium- large butternut squash (probably 2-3 lbs.. or you can cheat and buy the big bag of peeled and cut squash from TJ’s… saves a lot of trouble, but actually tastes better if you go through the hassle of peeling and dicing yourself)

-1 med-large yellow onion (ive tried with both regular yellow onions and sweet onions- either will work)

- 2-3 large garlic cloves

- black pepper

-2 tbsp butter (i’ve tried with earth balance, olive oil and real butter… USE REAL BUTTER)

- 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

-2-3 cups veggie/chicken broth- less broth=thicker soup (i prefer the regular sodium chicken broth- and then i don’t add any extra salt to the soup)

Directions:

1. melt 2 tbsp butter in a large soup pot (stockpot?) over medium heat

2. dice garlic and onions. size is not important, as it will all be blended together in the end.

3. saute garlic and onions in butter until soft and translucent- do not brown! while garlic and onions are cooking, tackle that beast of a squash (if you went the hard way). peel and dice (remove seeds) into ~1 inch cubes. pepper can be added now or after squash/broth.

4. add butternut squash and 2 cups of broth to pot. bring to a simmer. add 1 tbsp balsamic

5. simmer until squash can be pierced easily by a fork (about 15 mins).

6. use a slotted spoon to remove all garlic, onions and squash from pot. if your blender is big enough, just dump the whole pot in there. blend until smooth- i find i like it better when its less grainy and more silky.

*ive been toying with different ideas for how to increase the protein in this soup so it is more of a meal. ideas so far are blending in a can of white beans or garbanzos.. let me know if you try this!

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im also crazy addicted to pumpkin these days. im that crazy girl with pumpkin in her purse. NO JOKE. that happened.

speaking of pumpkin, i made AMAZING pumpkin muffins the other day- bsed off of this recipe by Joy Bauer-

Ginger Spiced Pumpkin Muffins

I made a bunch of changes and additions to the recipe- almond meal and way more pumpkin to name a few.. and they turned out AMAZING! recipe to come. i promise.

any seasonal foods you’re currently obsessed with?

i LOVE winter squash and summer berries.