Butternut Squash Soup with Baked Ham Dinner

Funny story…growing up I hated squash. I can’t emphasize “hated” enough.  My dad grew it in his garden every summer and would cook it up, place it on our plates and require that we kids ate it entirely before we left the dinner table. We would sit there and gag, make grimacing faces at our plates and beg him to let us be done, until it grew cold.  We wished it would magically disappear.  It was the squishy, orange veggie (although technically it’s a fruit) of doom!  So for years and years I avoided it like the plague.

 

Until one day while at a nice restaurant, my husband ordered a bowl of Butternut Squash Soup as an appetizer and convinced me to have a bite.  I very reluctantly did and was completely shocked at how amazing it was.  I loved it! At first I was thinking it was because my dad just didn’t know how to cook squash back then, but now I realize that my taste buds just hadn’t matured.  One thing’s for sure, though, I’ve been converted and I’m a squash fanatic! There’s no turning back!

 

1 (4 lb.) butternut squash

2 Tbsp. butter or olive oil

salt

pepper

2 cloves or 2 tsp. garlic, minced

1 medium onion, sliced and separated

1 red bell pepper, sliced

 

To make the soup:

1/2 tsp. thyme

2 1/2 c. chicken broth

1/2 c. water

1 tsp. chives

1/3 c. heavy cream (optional)

Roasted pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds for garnish

 

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.  Begin by carefully slicing your squash in half lengthwise with a very sharp knife.  Please use caution.  If you didn’t quite split it in half, you can slice another piece off, like I did, so it cooks evenly.  Remove the seeds and other contents.

 

Place it on a silpat mat-lined baking sheet or spray the pan a little with nonstick cooking spray.  Add your sliced red pepper and onions.  Now spread the butter evenly on top of the squash with your hands or a spoon. Spread minced garlic evenly over and salt and pepper the tops generously.

 

Place your pan on the middle rack and bake for approximately 50 minutes, or until squash is nice and soft.  You’ll want to check it half way and remove your onions so they don’t burn, because they’ll be the first to cook.

 

When the squash is fully roasted, remove it from the oven and scrape it from its skins.  Place the squash, roasted red pepper slices and onion slices in an immersion blender and puree until nice and smooth.  Make sure you include the melted butter that will pool in the bottom of the squash.

 

Pour the mixture into a soup pan over the stove top and whisk in thyme, chicken broth, water and chives.  Allow soup to come to a low boil while stirring occasionally. Reduce heat and allow soup to simmer for ten minutes, stirring occasionally.  Stir in cream and serve immediately while warm.  Add salt and pepper to taste, if needed. Garnish with pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds if desired.

Now, we can’t forget about the ham portion of this meal. I love partaking of a nice ham dinner with my family and friends, especially during the holidays!