Name: leek and butternut squash soup
Ingredients: 4 Tablespoons olive oil; 1 medium yellow onion, diced; 2 leeks, white and light green parts only, sliced and rinsed thoroughly; Kosher salt; 5 ribs celery, diced; 3 large carrots, peeled and diced; 6 cloves garlic, minced; 4 stalks fresh thyme (or 1 teaspoon dried thyme); 2 pounds butternut squash, peeled and diced; 4 cups chicken broth (homemade or low-sodium storebought); 1 cup filtered water; 2 dried bay leaves; 4 Tablespoon unsalted butter, cut into cubes; 2 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar; 1/4 – 1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne (start with 1/4 and add more if you want more heat); 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg; fresh chives, thinly sliced; Crispy bits of bacon; Toasted pumpkin seeds; Creme fraiche or yogurt

Ingredients

Units Scale

4 Tablespoons olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, diced
2 leeks, white and light green parts only, sliced and rinsed thoroughly
Kosher salt
5 ribs celery, diced
3 large carrots, peeled and diced
6 cloves garlic, minced
4 stalks fresh thyme (or 1 teaspoon dried thyme)
2 pounds butternut squash, peeled and diced
4 cups chicken broth (homemade or low-sodium storebought)
1 cup filtered water
2 dried bay leaves
4 Tablespoon unsalted butter, cut into cubes
2 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1/4 – 1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne (start with 1/4 and add more if you want more heat)
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Optional toppings:

fresh chives, thinly sliced
Crispy bits of bacon
Toasted pumpkin seeds
Creme fraiche or yogurt

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Instructions

Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat.
Add the onion, leeks and 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt. Cook over medium low heat until the onions are translucent and starting to lightly brown, 5-7 minutes.
Add the carrots and celery to the pot. Cook the vegetables over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are soft, about 8-10 minutes.
Add the garlic and thyme, cook until fragrant, 1-2 minutes.
Add the butternut squash, broth, water and bay leaves to the pot.
Bring the mixture to a boil and reduce the heat to medium low. Let the soup simmer, uncovered, until the butternut squash is very soft and easy to pierce with a fork, 30-40minutes.
Turn off the heat, remove the bay leaves and drop the chunks of butter into the soup.
Use an immersion blender to blend the soup until it’s completely smooth. If you don’t have an immersion blender, ladle the soup into a blender (in batches) until completely smooth. If using a blender, pour the soup back into the pot.
Add the apple cider vinegar, nutmeg, cayenne pepper and 1 teaspoon kosher salt into the soup.
Taste the soup and add more salt to suit your palette (I use 1 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt in addition to the salt I used with the onions). The amount of salt you use will depend on how salty your broth was.
I like the soup to be thick and smooth so I don’t add any more liquid. However, if you prefer a thinner soup, add a little bit of water or broth (¼ cup at a time) until you reach the consistency you like.
Garnish with the suggested toppings, serve hot.