Fall Soup Goodness

Fall is upon us! I love this time of the year it's my favorite. The air begins to cool and become crisp and refreshing with no or less NC humidity! Another great thing about fall is soup. And better yet...Soup in homemade bread bowls. Mmmm. As an earlier post says I sold myself for a blender for a few days. Not just any blender but a Vitamix blender the blender to end all blenders!!! Yes I love my blender. I had better I cleaned for days to get it!
So the soup you are wondering...What is it lady! Ok ok I am going I am going....

Butternut Squash Soup

1 really large butternut squash about 6 lbs. Washed.
1 large yam/ sweet potato
1 onion
4 oz butter
2 Tbs brown sugar
3 Tbs molasses
salt
pepper
knob of fresh ginger grated
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp cyanine pepper
zest and juice from one orange
2-3 Tbs Worcestershire sauce
1-2 cloves garlic grated
2 c milk
1 c heavy cream
3-4 c of left over liquid/water from roasting the squash

1. Preheat oven to 375˚F.
2. Place the squash on a flat surface and split them in half lengthwise. Scrape out the seeds and arrange in a single layer on one or two baking sheets.
3. In a small saucepan, melt 4 ounces of the butter completely over medium heat. Wait until it starts to turn a light brown color. Remove from heat and immediately distribute the butter into the cavities of the squash halves. Sprinkle with the brown sugar and Molasses as well.
4. Season the insides with salt and pepper. Finish by covering with the ginger, fresh ginger, and the ground cloves. Fill the bottom of the tray(s) with the water (should be about 1 inch high) to create steam while the squash bakes in the oven. Cover the tray(s) with aluminum foil and seal the edges tightly. Wrap the sweet potato and onion in aluminum foil and set aside.
5. Place the tray(s) in the center of the oven and bake the squash, undisturbed, for 2 hours. Place the sweet potato and onion in the oven to roast after 1 hr. They do not take as long. To check for doneness, pierce one of the halves with the tip of a small knife. The knife should slide in and out easily. If at all firm, bake the halves an additional 30-45 minutes. Remove from the oven. Carefully peel back the foil. Set aside to cool.
6. Using a large spoon, scoop the flesh from the squash, taking care not to take any skin with it. The skin can give a bitter flavor; however, take care to retain all of the cooking liquid inside the squash. That will add a lot of flavor to the soup. Gather all of the squash in a large pot. Turn the heat on low. Add some of the orange zest, the orange juice, the Worcestershire Sauce and the garlic. Add the brown butter. Stir to blend. Taste for seasoning. If the squash lacks sweetness, add a little Molasses. If it lacks salt, add a little salt or Worcestershire Sauce.
7. In a large pot, heat the skim milk, heavy cream, and two cups of the water. Season the liquid with salt and pepper and bring to a simmer.
8. Add the squash and stir to blend. Once the mixture has returned to a simmer, taste for seasoning.
9. Place 4 cups of soup into the Vitamix container and secure lid.
10. Select Variable 1.
11. Turn machine on and slowly increase to Variable 10, then to High.
12. Blend for 30 seconds or until smoothly puréed. Carefully transfer to pot or serving bowl. Repeat with remaining soup.
13. If the soup needs more flavor, add salt, extra orange zest or pepper, as needed. If the soup is too thick, add the additional cup of water and blend.

I made homemade bread bowls to accompany! I toasted the tops and insides I pulled out to use as dippers for the soup. 

For the second day because it made so much soup we had left overs and I had some left over turkey loin from the other day. I chopped that up and tossed it in the soup and oh my gosh. The perfect accompaniment! I love fall...the fun...the food.