Hearty butternut squash soup

By sandycon

Ingredients

• 1 T. vegetable oil
• 1 T. stick butter
• 1 medium (1 c.) onion, diced
• 1 C. chopped carrots
• 1 small clove garlic, minced
• 2 lbs. (1 medium) butternut squash, peeled, seeded and chopped
• 2 (14 1/2 oz.) cans chicken broth
• 1/2 C. apple juice
• 1 T. brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/4 c. heavy whipping cream
• Garlic croutons (optional)
• Fresh thyme leaves (optional)

Preparation

Step 1

Put vegetable oil and butter in pan, add onion and carrots to oil. Cook until soft, stirring often, about five minutes. Stir in garlic, being careful that garlic does not burn. Add squash, broth, and apple juice.
Cover pot, bring mixture to a boil over high heat, lower heat and cook until vegetables are very soft, about 30 minutes. Remove from heat. With a potato masher, fork or hand mixer, mash and stir vegetables to make a thick puree. Stir in brown sugar, salt, cinnamon, and cream.
Ladle soup into bowls; garnish with croutons and fresh thyme.
(Original recipe called to cook 4 strips bacon until crisp and then use the bacon grease to cook onion and carrot. This gave off a strong bacon flavor, but you could do it. The crumbled bacon is good on top of the soup, though ☺).