Butternut Squash Soup With Cumin

I have been making this recipe for 10 years, and every time that I make it, I love it a little bit more. 

 

Delicious, low-calorie, nutritious, filling, and gluten-free (if you leave the croutons off that is).  It's a really, really, really good soup.  You could actually substitute any fall or winter squash in place of the butternut squash, but I have yet to try that because I love the butternut squash version so much.
This blog post comes from a previous post about Thanksgiving 2012, where I served this soup as a starter.  If you want to read the full blog post about Thanksgiving 2012, click here to go back to that page.  Otherwise, enjoy...

Butternut Squash Soup With Cumin

Serves:  6

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 medium onions, peeled and sliced (3 cups)
• 3 pounds butternut squash, peeled and cut into 2-inch cubes (8 cups)
• 2 teaspoons salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 3 sprigs of fresh thyme (don't substitute for dried thyme in this recipe)
• 3 cups chicken broth, vegetable broth, or a commercial broth or bouillon cubes
• Croutons, for garnish (obviously omit this ingredient if you are gluten-free too)

Directions

In a 6-quart heavy-bottomed soup pot, heat the oil over medium heat and stir in the onions. Cover, reduce the heat, and braise for 15 minutes, checking that the onions don't burn.

Add the squash to the onions. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, cumin, and thyme, and cover the pot.  Braise for another 15 minutes, checking once in a while that the vegetables do not burn.

Add the broth, bring to a boil, cover, reduce the heat, and simmer for 30 minutes or until the squash is tender.

Purée the soup in a blender or food processor in batches, or use an immersion blender. Reheat the soup, taste for salt, and add more cumin to taste. Serve boiling hot with croutons.  Enjoy!

Recipe Source: Epicurious.com