Soup season is here!

It's squash season, soup season, cuddlin up with a blanket and tv. and hot bowl of soup season! So here's a favorite of mine that I've been waiting for just the perfect cool day to make!

Butternut Squash Soup

1 butternut squash

8 Cups water, 9 chicken bouillon cubes (or you could use canned Chicken broth but it's about $1.89 for a jar of bouillon cubes and well water...is free.....)

3 white baking potatoes

2 large carrots

1 med. sized onion or 1/2 a large, I love Vidalia or Sweet onion in this, yellow will do though

1 C. plain applesauce, OR 1 large apple peeled and diced

3 Tb. butter

salt/pepper to taste

Wash your butternut squash, poke holes all throughout the squash, place squash in microwave safe glass dish (DON'T use plastic, this cooks too long for plastic to survive ha), pour about 1 C. water into the dish and cover squash with waxed paper and microwave for 10 mins. (What you're trying to do here is soften the squash enough to cut it, peel it and cube it, you're not really cooking it. Now I know there are MANY other ways to peel and clean a squash but I've had too many fly off the counter when I've tried to cut it in 1/2 uncooked! this is just an easy way to do it! In the meantime bring water to a boil and add bouillon cubes.

Place 3 Tb. butter in a small pan to melt on med. heat, and put diced onion in to soften.

Peel carrots and potatoes and apple(if using an apple) and cut into 1/2" chunks or so, and place into simmering broth. Add onions when they are just softened. Add salt and pepper now according to how much you like. Using the extra bouillon cube makes it salty enough I think so I don't add salt. Cut and peel squash and cut into cubes and add to simmering broth, simmer for about 45 mins. until everything is soft.

I use an immersion blender but you could definitely use a hand held potato masher and mash the veggies up in the soup until it's creamy. I like the veggies a bit chunky in it so I don't totally liquefy it, but you could! Add a dollop of sour cream! DELISH! this freezes nicely and makes a big ole supper sized batch.....add some hot french bread....oh baby! Although I don't make it for supper very often, I make this usually on a Monday and this is what I eat for lunches throughout the week! My kids like it for an after school snack too!