I love Panera Bread's Autumn Squash Soup. It is the perfect blend of sweet, spicy and salty. And what is one to do when a menu item you are craving is no longer available since it is technically after Thanksgiving? Despair not! DIY to the rescue (also known as, cooking it yourself).
I had shared this fantastic version of the Panera Bread recipe last year as part of our Holiday menu. This year, I decided to skip on a spice and substitute it with another (who knew I was out of curry?? well, hello, ginger!). The taste is quite nice still! Here are the directions below. Enjoy!
Ingredients
1 large butternut squash, peeled, seeded and chopped (or 20 oz package precut)
1 tablespoon canola oil
salt and pepper to taste
1 15 oz can pumpkin
1 cup vegetable broth
1 cup apple cider
1 cup half and half
1 1/2 tablespoon honey
1/4 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
Heat oven to 450. Toss chopped butternut squash with canola oil and salt and pepper. Roast for 25 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes.
Using a potato ricer, press squash through ricer. (Or puree in blender if you don’t have a ricer)
In a large food processor, blend pureed squash and pumpkin, pouring vegetable broth, apple cider and half and half through the top while blending.
Pour into sauce pan and heat over medium to a gentle boil. Add honey and spices.
Simmer on low for 10 minutes and serve with roasted pumpkin seeds.
A few months back, a co-worker of mine convinced me to join my company's Spartan Race team. He didn't talk it up much: he mentioned it's a long-ish run with a few fun obstacles. You know, no big deal. Something someone who runs as much as me should complete more than easily (read, you don't really need to train for it). Ha ha ha.