Recipes: Butternut squash soup, three ways

"The humble butternut squash is my go-to for a true autumn soup. The thin-skinned Cucurbita is plush, earthy and just a tad sweet. Delicious cubed and roasted or sautéed, when baked and puréed it becomes an especially versatile base for soup. Season it with curry spices, or the heat of Mexican chiles. Try whisking in miso, ginger and soy, or fragrant rosemary, parsley and thyme."

"Roasting the squash first deepens its flavor by caramelizing the natural sugars while the flesh melts into a rich mash. Once it's out of the oven, cook the squash with aromatics like shallot and garlic and enough stock to purée it into a thick, creamy soup without the addition of cream. Its golden hues and cozy texture are like that favorite sweater."

Butternut squash is thin-skinned, plush, earthy and mildly sweet, becoming especially versatile when baked and puréed. Roasting the squash deepens flavor by caramelizing natural sugars and turning the flesh into a rich mash. Cook roasted squash with aromatics like shallot and garlic and add enough stock to purée it into a thick, creamy soup without cream. Seasonings can range from curry or Mexican chiles to miso with ginger and soy, or rosemary, parsley and thyme, or warm Yankee spices with maple and cider vinegar. Choose a heavy, long-necked squash free of blemishes, store it cool and dry, and make the soup ahead; it keeps three days refrigerated and freezes well. Serve with a cheese toasty, a warm baguette and a tart green salad.

Read at Daily News