This is a nice light creamy soup that has a lovely natural sweetness and is perfect for a starter or lunch. You can peel the squash and add it to the stock to cook but I find by roasting it, it is so much more flavorful and easier to handle. For a vegetarian version, just substitute a good vegetable stock. To get 4 cups of cooked squash, I used 2 medium squash. Ingredients



2 tablespoon butter

1 small onion diced

1 leek sliced thin

1 medium carrot diced

3 tablespoons white rice

4 cups of cooked butternut squash

4 cups chicken broth

1/2 cup heavy cream

Salt to taste

ground black pepper to taste

ground nutmeg for garnish

chives for garnish



Preheat the oven to 375F. Cut the butternut squash in half and lay cut side down in a baking pan with about 1/2 inch of water. Bake for approx 45 minutes until it's soft and can be easily scooped out of the skin. Save any pan drippings also. Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Stir in the onion, leek and carrot and saute until the onion is transparent and tender (about 5 minutes). Pour in the chicken stock, add the rice and bring to a boil. Turn down the heat and let it simmer for about 20 minutes. Stir in the cooked butternut squash and cook an additional 5 minutes.



In a blender or food processor, puree the soup mixture until smooth.(or use an immersion blender) Return the soup to the pot, and stir in the heavy cream. Test for seasonings and add salt and pepper to taste. Heat through, but do not boil. Serve warm with a dash of nutmeg (just a light dash as it can be overpowering) some chopped chives and a few drops of cream swirled.



Enjoy