Golden Squash Soup

I don't think that I have shared this one with you to this point. The original recipe called for leeks but onions will work. I have made a few other changes that I will tell you as you progress through this. The recipe came from Taste of Home Mag. in October of 2007. Making it the way the recipe is written is very labor intensive and I think that it has better flavor doing it my way because anytime that you roast a veggie the flavor is far better than if you boil it even if you boil it in chicken broth. Here we go:

5 med. leeks, white portion only, cleaned and thinly sliced (you can use a medium onion if you can't find leeks, they are kind of seasonal in some areas)
2 tbsp. butter
1 1/2 pound butternut squash, peal, seeded and cubed (here I prefer to cut the squash in half, seed it and them bake cut side down on baking sheet for about and hour at 350F or until it is fork tender when pierced. When it have it baked, I then scrape the flesh from the skin and proceed the rest of the way as described)
4 C. chicken broth
1/4 tsp. thyme
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 3/4 C. shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 C. sour cream
2 tbsp. chives, chopped

In a large sauce pan, saute leeks in butter until tender. Stir in the cubed squash, broth, thyme, and pepper. ( I would just put the roasted squash in the broth and seasoning and bring to a boil.)
Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until the squash is tender (10-15 minute). Cool slightly.
In a blender, cover and process the squash mixture in batches until smooth: (BE CAREFUL HERE HOT THINGS IN BLENDER SOMETIMES BLOW THE TOP OF THE BLENDER AND BURN YOU) Return the now pureed mixture back to the pot and bring to a simmer. Add the cheese; stir until soup is heated through and cheese is melted. Garnish with the sour cream and chives. (I like to add about 1/2 C. of sour cream to the pot when I add the cheese, as well.)

When Den was recovering from his ulcers in the esophagus this was one of his favorite soft foods.

God Bless,
Linda