[INDY] Girl in Love A little Fall Gardening + What I'm Cooking: Chipotle Butternut Squash Soup

Where did our Fall go?  It seems like we jumped right into Winter here in Indiana.  How does it go from mid to upper 80s down to low 40s all in a span of a week?  Indiana weather is so finicky sometimes.

Over the weekend D's parents and a couple of his aunts made the drive down to Indy, bringing along plants, trees, and invaluable horticultural knowledge to help rescue our drab-looking back yard.  I gained a whole heap of information on how to properly spot and space each section and each particular plant.  Also, tips on watering and tools of the trade.  They even relocated existing plants that were on improper sides of the yard, moving some from the front to the back and vise verse.  It was such a fun experience and the work totally paid off.



There's a spot we left in the corner for a bench



Can't wait to add flowers to this mulch bed and maybe even some fish to the pond!



Loving the beautiful, bright red mums!

It turned out better than I would've imagined and was completed way faster, too.  I can't wait to see everything in bloom in the Spring.  It's going to look so lush in a couple years.

Later that evening, D and I hosted a BBQ with some of our good friends to fire up our new grill and fire pit.  Great times had by all!

What's a better way to embrace the drastic drops in temperature than to whip up a fantastic seasonal soup?  About a week and a half ago, I created an amazingly hearty and completely fitting Chipotle Butternut Squash Soup.  It is sure to warm you up on these dreadfully cold and misty days.

Preheat oven to 350°F.  I started with a standard, whole butternut squash that I halved and placed on a lightly oiled sheet pan and roasted in the oven for about an hour (until tender and scoopable). 

As the squash was coming to the end of roasting, I went ahead and prepped and diced my mirepoix (onion, celery and carrots).
 

I removed the squash from the oven to allow it to cool down enough to handle.  Once that was done, I scooped it out and collected the seeds (to be used later on in the recipe). 

Heat a large saucepan to medium heat and saute the mirepoix in about a half a tablespoon of canola oil until softened, covering and stirring often. 

Next, cube the cooled down squash and then combine it with the mirepoix. 

A key feature to this soup was the surprising combination of flavors produced, not only by the rich, buttery squash, but in the bold seasonings:

• 1 teaspoon of cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon of ground chipotle chile powder (a new favorite of mine!)
• 1 teaspoon of garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon of all spice



Combine the seasonings into the pan and continue cooking all the ingredients for about 10 to 12 mins. 

Stir in approximately 3 cups of vegetable broth and 3 cups of chicken broth. Simmer for about 20 mins or until the vegetables are tender. 

I let it cool down for about 20 mins before taking an emulsion blender to it.  Although I was anxious to try a spoonful, the thought of hot liquid and veggies splashing up was too much to risk.  I put the blender on low and slow while adding a half cup of Greek plain yogurt and then pureed it down til all the chunks were smoothed out.

In the meantime, remember those seeds I saved after coring the squash?  I laid them on a cookie sheet, sprayed with canola oil, and then sprinkled with a little bit of salt and ground  chipotle.  Then I popped them in the oven for a bit to toast.

Horrible picture, but you get the point

Once everything was complete, I poured a bowl out for myself.  I am often quite generous when it comes to soup-topping.  I went with crumbled bleu cheese, chopped green onions, toasted & seasoned squash seeds, and just a dash of the chipotle chile powder! 

Mmm Mmm GOOOD!  I wish I still had some left but D and I (mostly me!) devoured it over the next few days.  This was one of those recipes that I really had to give myself a pat on the back because it was so unbelievably delicious! 

If you decide to give it a try, please let me know what you think!  Stay cozy these next few days.  It's not supposed to get back into the 60s until this weekend!!