Aunt Ruth's Creamy Butternut Squash Soup

Aunt Ruth's Creamy Butternut Squash Soup

Ingredients:

2 lb. butternut squash, halved, seeded, peeled, & cut into 1 inch pieces
1 1/2 cups diced onion (Vidalia preferred)
2 carrots, peeled, and diced
3 (13 3/4 ounce) cans chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon salt (sea salt preferred)
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup light cream or heavy cream
sour cream for garnish

Instructions:

In a medium saucepan, combine squash, onion, carrots, broth, and salt. Simmer, uncovered, until squash is very tender (about 40 minutes). Puree soup in a blender or food processor with the butter. Whisk cream
into soup. Serve in wide shallow bowls with a dollop of sour cream.

Note: The butter and cream can be replaced with silken tofu and/or plain yogurt for a much healthier, but just as tasty, version of this soup. Dill weed can also be added for a delicate flavor variation. The soup can also be made in a crock pot/slow cooker, but don't add the cream or yogurt until after it's finished cooking. Often, if slow cooked long enough (on low), the squash and onion completely break down and don't require pureeing.

The resulting soup is not as perfectly smooth as if it's pureed, but it's much smoother than you'd expect... and some people prefer the extra texture. It's up to the chef to decide.