Butternut Squash and Ginger Soup

Winter is a period of short days and cold weather. If, like me, you live in Germany, or in the Pacific Northwest, it is a time of gray skies and not much sunshine. So I decided to make "a bowl of sunshine", as I like to call it. A delicious soup with a bright sunny color, a vibrant taste (thanks in no small part to the fresh ginger), and warmth for the chilliest of days.

I love squash. Zucchini is a go-to on summer days, and almost any squash is delicious. So a few years back I wanted to make butternut squash soup. But when I went looking for the perfect butternut squash soup, I found a lot of recipes I liked parts of, but none that were just right for me. So I set out to make my own - and it's one of my very favorite soups!

Today at church we had a soup and sandwich potluck. Now, as fate would have it, we had snow overnight, so turnout was very light at church. There were 9 or 10 pots of soup, and big platters of meats, cheeses, rolls and condiments to make sandwiches with, but only about 50 people. I made a double recipe of this, and was afraid I'd be bringing half a crockpot full back home. No worries - it went - all of it. One family had 3 bowls each! And then asked for the recipe. That can warm your heart even better than a hot bowl of soup.

So, without further ado, here it is. Butternut Squash and Ginger soup.

Ingredients

1 3-4 pound butternut squash

1 medium yellow onion, diced or thinly sliced

1/2 stick butter

1/3 cup brown sugar

2 boxes chicken broth (NOT STOCK)

2 tablespoons fresh ginger root – grated

2 sticks cinnamon

1 8oz package cream cheese (I used Neufchatel)

Kosher salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Halve the squash lengthwise, remove seeds and stringy bits. Spray 2 glass baking dishes (or one large one if big enough for both halves of squash) with nonstick spray. Place the squash, cut side down, in the baking dishes, prick the skin all over with a fork or skewer, and roast at 450 for 45 minutes. Let cool enough to hold and skin.

[Alternately, if you have an Instant Pot or other electric pressure cooker: Place trivet and 1 ½ cup water in Instant Pot. Halve the squash lengthwise, remove seeds and stringy bits. Place the squash, cut side up, on the trivet, and pressure cook for 12 minutes, with 5 minutes of natural release. Let cool enough to hold and skin – it should slip right off. Clean and dry the Instant Pot insert. ]

Put onion, butter and brown sugar in a saucepan over low heat and cook, stirring frequently, until onion is soft and clear – NOT browned. Alternately, place in a microwave safe bowl, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and microwave on high for 6-7 minutes.

When the squash is cool, remove the skin, preserving as much of the flesh as possible. Add the squash, onion and 1½ box of broth to a LARGE stock pot over medium heat. Grate the ginger into the pot. Process with a stick blender until smooth. Add cinnamon sticks and bring just to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, stirring occasionally for 10 minutes. Add the cream cheese, and use the stick blender again until cream cheese is dissolved and incorporated into the soup (just be careful of the cinnamon sticks). Let simmer for 10-15 more minutes, adding salt and pepper to taste. Remove the cinnamon sticks and serve immediately, or allow to cool and refrigerate overnight – the flavors intensify.