Until three years ago, winter squash was pretty much a foreign object to me. Mr. B. would say that at that time, Winter was a foreign object to me. Now entering my third go-round with snow, ice, and sub-zero wind chill, I have to agree with him. Outside of zucchini and crookneck yellow squash, I had admired the decorative ability of pumpkins and gourds, but never knew about the deliciousness that can be found inside a winter squash.

We were married in Fall, and I moved to the Midwest immediately thereafter, just in time for for my first Winter. It was cold. So very cold. I had to buy socks. And gloves. And a hat. I found that I didn’t want to eat anything that wasn’t piping hot and full of carbohydrates and fat, pretty much the definition of comfort food! Yet the thought of gaining 200 pounds wasn’t so comforting. So I figured I would make lots of soups to satisfy my cravings and to avoid having to buy a bigger hat.

This Butternut Squash and Parmesan soup recipe originally came from a Wholefoods recipe card. It was on their website for a while but it has since disappeared. The squash and Parmesan marry together in creamy cheesy goodness, and the red pepper flakes add just enough kick to liven up the party. This soup is creamy enough to satisfy your biggest comfort food cravings, while thankfully contains no heavy cream at all. I think I may be genetically incapable of making a small quantity of soup, so I always double the recipe. During the last two winters I probably made this soup more than a dozen times. It’s that good.

Butternut Squash and Parmesan Soup
Recipe modified from Wholefoods Market
Serves 12

Ingredients

3 onions roughly chopped (approx. 1 lb)
2 cloves of garlic, roughly chopped (I always use about 6, but we love garlic)
1 teaspoon chili flakes (I use about 1T – ’cause we like it hot!)
6 Tablespoons olive oil
3 medium butternut squash (approx. 8 lbs)
8 cups chicken stock
2 bay leaves
6 sprigs of fresh parsley, stems tied in a bundle with kitchen string
4 pieces of Parmesan cheese rind (Wholefoods sells these seasonally, or you can save them up as you go through your Parmesan)
1 cup creme fraiche
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Roughly shaved Parmesan cheese to serve

Directions

Gently fry the onions, garlic, and chili flakes in the olive oil in a large stock pot for about 10 minutes, or until soft and golden. Meanwhile cut off the tough skin of the butternut squash. This can be rather difficult to do. First cut off the stem and bottom ends of the squash to provide a stable flat surface to place on the cutting board. Cut squash in half horizontally if it makes it easier for you to manage. Then carefully slice thin strips of the skin off, until it is all removed. Cut squash in half vertically. Scrape out and discard any seeds. Roughly chop the squash flesh and stir it into the sauteed onions. Cover and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the squash begins to soften.

Add the stock, herbs, and Parmesan rind and simmer gently for 45 minutes, or until the squash is meltingly soft. Discard the herbs. Using two forks, pin each Parmesan rind against the side of the pot and use the other fork to scrape off any gooey cheese into the soup. Discard the remaining rind. In a blender process the soup (be careful to not let the steam build up under the blender lid!), add the creme fraiche, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve piping hot scattered with Parmesan cheese shavings.

This soup was one of the main reasons I put a hand held blender on my Christmas list two years ago. It makes life SO much easier, and I use mine about once a week for everything from soups to scrambled eggs.