Winter Butternut Soup

When Lewin Farms in Wading River closed the day before Thanksgiving, I stocked up on winter squash. I ended up with more butternut squash than I knew what to do with. I looked up some recipes and found a bunch of soups. There was no one soup in particular that jumped out at me, so I took inspiration from a few different ones. A few ingredient substitutions and cooking methods later, I turned out a rich, creamy, delicious soup. The ingredients are very basic, just veggies, broth and oil. The potato and squash puree so smoothly that heavy cream isn't necessary to make the soup rich. I made it again recently. It was the perfect meal for the frigid January weather we've been having and there
was plenty of leftovers for the next couple days.

Winter Butternut Soup

Serves about 6

• 3 Tbsp. olive oil
• 3 leeks, sliced (white and pale green parts only)
• One onion, chopped
• One sweet potato, peeled and cubed
• One large butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cubed
• 2 carrots, peeled and sliced
• One apple, peeled, cored and sliced
• 1 quart of vegetable broth

1. Saute the leeks in olive oil until tender, about 5 minutes.
2. Add the rest of the ingredients and bring to a boil.
3. Cover and reduce heat to medium low.
4. Simmer for about 20 minutes, until the potatoes and squash are tender.
5. Transfer in batches to a blender and puree until smooth.
6. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and serve warm.

Logan feeding himself a serving of his favorite soup.