Chipotle Butternut Soup

Servings: 20-24

Total Time: 20 minutes

This creamy Butternut Soup takes flavor to a new southwestern level. With a sour cream spider web added, this soup makes a dressy and comforting dish for Halloween.

Ingredients:

1 large butternut squash

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 medium onion

3 stalks celery

3 carrots

2 garlic cloves

6 cups chicken broth

2 teaspoons minced canned chipotle chiles in adobo

sour cream for garnish

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Chop onions, celery, and carrots. Prepare the squash by washing it and then puncture the skin multiple places with a knife (similar to prepping a potato to be baked). Place on a pan in the oven for 45 minutes. Meanwhile, chop onions, celery, and carrots.

Once the butternut squash is tender, remove from the oven and let it cool. In a heavy pot over medium-high heat add 2 tablespoons of olive oil, chopped vegetables, and a pinch of salt. Saute until tender. Add the garlic and saute for another minute. Scoop the butternut squash flesh into the pot and stir. Add 4 cups of chicken broth and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover the pot, and simmer for approximately 30 minutes or until all vegetables are tender.

Using a hand blender, blend all ingredients until smooth. Mix chipotle into soup and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Add sour cream to a piping bag. Design spider web by piping the sour cream in 3 small to large circles and make lines through the circle by placing a knife in the center of the inner circle and pulling the knife through the top layer of the soup to the side of the bowl. Continue with this process until a web design is created.

Adapted from a recipe from Marcela Valladolid on the Food Network.