Squash is easy to grow in any garden. My Iowa garden is no exception. I always have a bumper crop of butternut squash every fall. So here’s my favorite Squash Soup. This recipe makes 3 quarts! Add croutons for a dash of flavor and crunch.
Farm to Table Butternut Squash Soup
Tools You’ll Need:
Knife and cutting board for vegetables
Saucepan to brown onions & spices
Pot to warm soup
Immersion blender or blender
Ingredients:
Bake @ 400˚ for 50-60 minutes
3# butternut squash cut in ½ with seeds removed
Saute´ in 1 T Olive Oil
2 large onion, chopped
1 bulb garlic, chopped
2 T fresh thyme, chopped
Add and Heat
4 C chicken broth
3 T minced fresh parsley
½ t salt
¼ t pepper
Blend and Then Add
1 C whipping cream

Squash Soup Cooking notes:
- It is more efficient to bake the squash for this soup than other methods. Just cut it in 1/2 and scoop out the seeds. Place the squash meat-side down in a 9X13 glass baking dish with about a ½ inch of water.
- You can substitute 2 t dried thyme and 1 T dried parsley for fresh. I had to do this for the recipe pictured. It all turned out.
- While the squash is baking, chop the onion fine and then saute´ the onion, garlic, and thyme in 1 Tablespoon olive oil until translucent. Pour in the chicken stock.
- After the squash has cooled, scoop out the squash and put in a large stockpot that has everything in it except the whipping cream.
- I highly recommend you use an immersion blender! I use mine many times more than a regular blender for soups. Here’s a link to one that is similar to mine.
- Stir in the whipping cream after the soup is complete.
Details About How to Harvest and Store Squash
I pick the squash when the skin is hard (can’t dent with a fingernail) and the color is a nice over-all tan. Be sure to leave at least one inch of stem when you pick the squash.
I then sit the squash upright in the garage when the air temperature is still 80-85 degrees for 10-14 days. If the temperature dips in the evening, I’ll bring it into the house overnight. This process will cure the squash so it will last for up to 3 months! My squash is then stored in the basement furnace room until I need it to make soups, chips, and all sorts of squash dishes! The squash I used for this recipe is around 3 months old. It’s still good!
Here are all the details from the Iowa State Extension Office.