It's Going to Freeze!

The soup was a hit! Donna came over for lunch today. When she got here I was just blending it with an immersion blender. I know that the directions say otherwise, but use what you have in your kitchen. After it boiled then simmered, it was time for lunch. I didn't add any milk to the Cilantro topping and it was fine. The soup had just the right amount of heat! Donna raved about it and will definitely try it at home for her family. There was enough left for lunch another day and another Quart is happily in the freezer for the next time a friend stops by.The temperatures are dropping and we may get precipitation tonight in the form of the white stuff! There's nothing like soup to warm up the body on a cold day.

Great Soup for the Fall

Butternut squash is one of my fall favorites. I created this recipe from a group of butternut squash recipes. I really like the flavor of the roasted onion, garlic and squash. This soup makes a great side dish for dinner or main course for lunch. I like making a double batch and freezing it by the quart. The quart is just enough soup for my husband and I for lunch on a cold weekend. I will also take one out of the freezer and give it away to someone who needs a quick meal.

I learned something about low sodium chicken broth the other day.I looked at all the canned and boxed chicken broth labels. I compared the amounts of sodium in the ones labeled low or less sodium and the regular versions in each brand. Some brands versions of low or less sodium had more sodium in them than the regular version of another brand.So, if you care about sodium intake, look at all the labels!
Here is the soup recipe for today!

Roasted Onion and Squash Soup
1 ¾ lb. butternut squash, roasted until soft
1 large onion, peeled and quartered
3-6 garlic cloves
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon red curry paste
dash cayenne pepper
5 cups chicken broth (low sodium)
1 bay leaf

1. Place squash cut side down in a greased baking pan. Place one onion and 3-6 cloves of garlic on the baking pan. Bake, uncovered, at 400 degrees F for 20 minutes or until tender. Take onion and garlic out. Bake squash an additional 20-30 minutes until tender. When cool enough to handle, scoop out pulp; set aside.
2. In a large saucepan, saute onion and garlic in oil until tender. Add the flour, salt, curry and cayenne until blended. Stir in broth. Add bay leaf. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 20 minutes. Discard bay leaf. Cool to room temperature.
3. In a blender or food processor, place half the broth mixture and squash; cover and process until smooth. Repeat with remaining broth mixture and squash. Return to the saucepan; heat through.
Use below recipe for topping.
In a large

CILANTRO CREAM TOPPING:

1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup milk or cream
1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro or
parsley