Butternut Squash Soup - slightly spiced

It rained this week and it was perfect soup weather. I love Butternut Squash soup and Jax in Glendale makes the best, but they won't give up the recipe no way, no how. I've been working on duplicating. This is pretty close, very tasty and very close.

The secret to making this soup is the long caramelization, 15-20 minutes over medium-low heat so the onion's develop their maximum sweetness while taking out the raw onion sharpness. Low and slow, stirring often and not allowing the onion to char is the secret to good caramelization. (Redundant I know, but I can't drill it into my head enough on this one).

Subtly Spiced Butternut Squash Soup.

• 1 large yellow onion.
• 1 butter nut squash
• 1/2 t salt
• 1/2 t black pepper
• 2 T butter
• 1 T extra virgin olive oil
• 1 inch thick piece of ginger
• 1/4 T cayenne pepper
• 2 14 oz cans chicken broth
• 1/2 c half and half

Slice, clean out seeds and quarter the butternut squash. Place in microwave safe dish, cover with plastic wrap (cling film to you all in the UK who follow me). Microwave on high 12 minutes. Let cool to room temp covered, it will steam and soften while standing.

Slice onion into thick slices. Slice the ginger thinly. Heat butter and olive oil over medium low heat in large stock pot and add ginger and onion. Cook over slow flame 15-20 minutes until onion is caramelized and a very light golden brown.

With food processor or blender, add the onion and liquid from the squash pan. Pulse until liquefied. Pour back into the stock pot. Take 1/2 of squash and add to processor/blender along with about 1/2 can broth. Process until liquefied and add to stock pot. Repeat with remaining squash. Add enough remaining broth to get the mixture to soup consistency.

Return stock pot to a low flame. Heat until just starting to simmer, stirring occasionally. Once at simmer remove pot from flame and add the half-and-half and stir to mix it in. Do not add half-and-half while pot is on the flame as you might curdle your soup.