Sheffield— As an artist, which includes the art of cooking, I sometimes wonder what to cook next. To find inspiration, I might look at recipes that I have saved or flip through one of my many cook books. What it boils down to sometimes is a pop-up hankering or a phone call from a friend who tells me what they have been cooking. Recently, my friend Peg texted me that she was making butternut squash soup, which inspired me to make some for myself. This is certainly great weather for a hot, homemade soup, and I thought that this one was a good one to share with you.
Cream of Butternut Squash Soup
5 tablespoons butter
1 cup chopped onion
5 teaspoons curry powder
1/2 teaspoon garam masala
1 butternut squash, peeled and chopped
1 apple, peeled and chopped
2 cups chicken stock (homemade recipe below)
1/2 cup apple cider
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon pepper
2 to 3 tablespoons heavy cream
Melt the butter in a soup pot. Add the onions and curry powder. Sauté until soft, about five minutes.
Pour in the stock, apples, and squash. Simmer, covered, for about 25 minutes.
Using an emulsion blender, puree until smooth. It might be a little lumpy, which is fine.Â
Stir in the cider, salt, and pepper.
Serve hot with a drizzle of heavy cream and a side of buttered French bread.Â
***
Homemade Chicken Stock
5 to 6 pound whole chicken, roasted and eaten
2 carrots, roughly chopped
1 large onion, roughly chopped
2 celery stalks, roughly chopped
1 cup spinach, roughly chopped (optional)
Salt and pepper, to taste
After you have eaten most of the meat of your chicken, add what remains (all the bones and all the drippings from roasting) to a large pot and cover with water. Add the vegetables, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to a simmer. Simmer for 2 to 3 hours and then let it cool.
Drain the stock through a colander into a large bowl. Discard what remains in the colander. Pour the stock into canning jars and refrigerate. There you have it: homemade chicken stock.
