Butternut Squash Soup for a Crowd

My parents have been hosting Thanksgiving dinner for sixty-seven years at their home.  Over the years our numbers have grown, now to our highest guest count of forty-five this year – children, grandchildren, nieces, nephews, girlfriends, boyfriends, in-laws and their families, three turkeys, twenty cups of graving, and fifteen pounds of mashed potatoes… This soup was part of the buffet, I used water instead of chicken stock to keep it vegetarian. Take advantage of the packages of pre-cut squash, and the frozen chopped onions, it will come together in a snap.  This recipe makes about 16 servings.

4 1/2 pounds butternut squash, peeled, seeded and pre-cut

2 Granny Smith apples, peeled and cut into chunks

1 12 ounce bag of chopped frozen onions

3 tablespoons canola oil

3 tablespoons sweet curry powder

2 tablespoons fresh grated ginger

1 tablespoons celery salt

3 tablespoons of honey

1 tablespoons salt

1 tablespoon ground pepper

serve with sour cream and cilantro

• Heat an extra-large stock pot, then add the vegetable oil , and then the bag of onions
• Saute until the onions start to become translucent
• Add the curry powder, fresh ginger and celery salt
• Add the squash and the apples and cover with water and simmer until very tender, about 30 minutes
• Take off the heat and let cool slightly
• With an immersion blender, blend until smooth 
• Thin with a bit more water (or cream) if necessary
• Add the honey and salt and pepper and adjust to taste
• Serve with sour cream and cilantro

Dinner in the barn