A few years ago, I got really into cooking soup. After a long, cold day, I love the process of unwinding by chopping up some vegetables and warming up in the kitchen by cooking a vat of homemade soup in my Staub La Cocotte French Oven. To me, chopping vegetables and adding layers of flavor into a soup is so calming. Plus, I love using my beloved La Cocotte, which was a gift from my sweet Mom at my bridal shower.
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Based on my past love for the Baby Sitters Club book series circa 1989, the urge to have some type of club always fascinated me. My friend, Olivia always teases me about this proclivity, but I tell her I know she just wants to be Vice President of my Soup Club! (Note to self: add "start a soup club" to Life List)
I made this beloved Butternut Squash and Cannellini Bean Soup so many times last winter, that I needed something new to change it up. Eager to use up my leftovers before they spoiled, I made up this soup from a conglomeration of various recipes.
I went for a really unique name here, can't you tell? Butternut Squash Soup.
Ingredients:
Directions:
This soup was quite spicy (add 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of dried red pepper for a mellower flavor). Also, adding those 2 - 3 tablespoons of heavy cream make a huge difference. One of my favorite celebrity chefs, Giada, would surely call it "silkiness". I would have to agree. Regardless, every time I use a dash of heavy cream, I feel like a pro and end up proclaiming,"Heavy cream makes everything taste better!" Within reason, of course. And don't look at the nutrition facts while you're pouring.
The great thing about soup is that it's nearly impossible to screw up. It's easy to share with friends if you have enough Tupperware, and there are infinite variations.