Butternut Squash Soup

Surely this soup can warm you up on a cold winter's night, but butternut squash just seems to embody all of what fall  is.  That's why I had to get this recipe posted before fall passes us by and winter arrives.  I make sure to cook this soup annually when fall rolls around, and this sweet, yet spicy, soup is most definitely a treat!  And with Thanksgiving just a few days away, this butternut squash soup would certainly make an excellent addition to your Thanksgiving menu!  Enjoy!

Butternut Squash Soup

Ingredients
1 medium butternut squash (peeled, seeded, and coarsely chopped)
1 small onion (coarsely chopped)
5 potatoes (coarsely chopped)
6 cups of chicken broth
1 cup of half & half
2 tablespoons of olive oil
2 bay leaves
1/4 teaspoon of cayenne pepper
salt and pepper to taste

Directions
1.  In a large pot, over medium heat, heat the olive oil.  Add the onion and cook until softened.

2.  Add in the butternut squash, potatoes, broth, and bay leaves.  Cover and bring it to a boil.

3.  Once the soup is at a boil, remove it from the heat and dispose of the bay leaves.  Then, either using a blender or an immersion blender, blend the mixture until smooth.  If doing this with a regular blender, you will have to blend the mixture in several batches.  When I do this, I first pour the entire mixture, from the pot, into a large stainless steel bowl.  Then I pour the mixture from the bowl into the blender, blend, pour the smooth mixture back into the original pot, and continue this in batches.

4.  Once all of the mixture is smooth,  place the pot back on medium heat.  Then stir in the half & half, cayenne pepper, salt, and pepper.  Season to taste, and add either more broth to make the soup's consistency thin or more half & half to make the soup creamier.  Remove from heat, serve, and enjoy!