Many of my fellow food bloggers have talked about their pumpkin soup recipes in the previous weeks.  As Thanksgiving is rapidly approaching, I pulled out my recipe for Butternut squash soup (sometimes I make pumpkin – but they are very similar).  This soup is often my family's favorite (of everything I make).  It is modified from a recipe I learned at Culinary Institute of America.

Ingredients:

• 1 tsp Chopped Garlic
• 5 oz Celery, medium dice
• 4 oz. Leek>>
• 6 oz. Onion, medium dice>>
• 4oz. Flour
• 1 oz unsalted butter
• 2 lbs, butternut squash flesh
• 2 qt chicken stock
• 1 tsp. grated ginger
• 2 oz white wine
• ½  tsp salt
• 1 tsp nutmeg
• ½ tsp honey and allspice

Method:

• Sautee garlic, celery, onions, and leeks in butter
• Add squash and stock and simmer until veggies are tender
• Puree solids with enough liquids to achieve soup consistency
• Steep the ginger in the wine and strain
• Add wine to soup, season with salt, nutmeg, honey and allspice
• Top with crème fraise and toasted pistachio nuts and fried sage leaf