sorry, not sorry

Butternut squash soup. Five years ago, I would've been very distraught about posting so many boring (but delicious!) soups.

Since Eva came into my life, though, my priorities have definitely changed. Where I once would focus on my blog after getting home from work or on the weekends, these days I'm lucky to even make a fantastic supper, much less take pictures of it! Plus, after my dear girl goes to bed, the last thing I want to do is sit on my computer; I'd much rather read a book or have a good cry watching This Is Us (EVERY freakin' episode).

So no, I won't apologize for letting my blog fall by the wayside a little bit. I'm thankful to you fantastic folks who continue to stop by, especially you peaches who take the time to leave a comment!

Soup! This is butternut squash soup, and I should start by saying that butternut is my least favorite squash. I'm not sure why, but its flavor just doesn't do it for me. That said, my green-thumbed little brother offered to share his harvest with me, and I still eagerly accepted. I'm glad I did, because this soup was quite tasty! The herbs and candied jalapenos (I used this recipe and replaced the beer with apple cider) helped to balance the taste of the squash for me and I ended up eating the majority of the batch myself!

Last soup for awhile...maybe.

No Apologies Butternut Squash Soup
(printable recipe)

Serves 6-8
Ingredients:

• 1 large or 2 small butternut squash (about 3 pounds), halved and seeded
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil or butter
• 1 onion, sliced
• 1-2 large carrots, peeled and cut into chunks
• 1 apple, cored and cut into chunks
• 4 cups chicken or vegetable stock, plus more as needed
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1 bay leaf
• Pinch ground nutmeg
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1/4 cup candied jalapenos
• Milk or coconut milk, as needed

Directions:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Place the squash halves face down on a rimmed baking sheet sprayed with nonstick spray and roast until squash is slightly browned and tender, about 40 minutes--a knife should be able to enter the squash easily.
Set the squash aside to cool enough to handle, then scoop out the flesh.
In a large saucepan, heat the oil or butter over medium-high heat until hot, then add the onion, lower the heat to medium, and cook, stirring, until soft and lightly golden, about 10 minutes.
Add the roasted squash, sauteed onion, carrot, apple, stock, spices, and salt and pepper to your slow cooker.
Cook for 6-8 hours on LOW or 3-4 hours on HIGH, or until the carrots mash easily with a fork.
Remove the thyme sprigs and bay leaf, if using, then add the candied jalapenos.
Use an immersion blender to puree the soup until smooth.
Add milk, salt, and pepper as needed to reach the desired consistency and seasoning.

My (very serious) helper!