Squash Soup, so simple it's good all year long

I think the first soup I ever made was a Jamaican Pumpkin soup, and it had a lovely kick to it. This was some time before you could find squash soup in those expensive cardboard boxes in the supermarkets. Since that time, squash soup has made some gains in popularity, and for good reasons: it's healthy, packed full of vitamins, and best of all (perhaps most importantly)...it tastes great.

Pretty much everywhere I have lived I've been able to get some manner of squash throughout the year in various markets. My favorites to buy have always been acorn and butternut. These both work perfectly for squash soup, in my opinion, because they have the smooth texture that lends well to blending. They also seem to be the two easiest to find. What luck!

After St. Patrick's Day, and the corned beef feed at this house, there was some leftover soda bread, and this was the inspiration for making my most basic squash soup. I thought they would work well together, and I was not disappointed.

Here is my recipe for 4 bowls of basic Squash Soup:

1 2.5 pound butternut squash

1 14.5 oz. cans of chicken broth

3/4 C chopped onion

2 sliced garlic cloves

1 T vegetable oil

1/2 tsp ground black pepper

2 tsp oregano (dried)

1 tsp thyme (dried)

Split the squash in half and scoop out and discard the seeds

You can either bake them until tender when pressed against the skins with a fork, or to save time, microwave them skin side up on a plate with some water on it, cook time will depend on your microwave, but you want them plenty tender, like butter when you poke it with your fork.

When these are done, let them cool a bit while you saute the onion and sliced garlic in vegetable oil, just until transparent and tender.

Now it is time to scoop out the tender meat of the squash onto the plate (if any water remains, discard before scooping squash).

In a food processor, pulse the onion and garlic several times before beginning to add the squash.

Add the squash about a half cup at a time, pulsing or blending on low for several seconds between each addition, until the mixture appears well blended.

In a large saucepan, empty the mixture from the food processor, and add one can of chicken broth at a time, stirring to mix evenly. Now add the black pepper, oregano and thyme, stir and bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer (stirring occasionally) for about 20 minutes.

There are so many possibilities with spices and herbs to make this soup fit your cuisine of choice. If you try spicing it up, think about adding a dollop of sour cream to the top. If you need to make it stretch further, you can incorporate potatoes as well. This can be served hot or at room temperature. Either way, it is good, and so very good for you.

Try it! And enjoy.