Butternut Squash Soup

I decided to give Butternut Squash Soup another chance. I made the soup once a few years ago and didn't like it. Most recipes out there make the soup with apples, sugar, and other sweet ingredients. I usually don't like foods that should be savory that are made to be sweet. Just watching Iron Chef America proves that point. They're always making chicken liver ice cream or quail egg ice cream. Not good, not good at all! Anyway, I knew I could rely on the Silky Butternut Squash Soup recipe from America's Test Kitchen. Wow, was I blown away. I eventually put down my spoon and just drank this from the bowl because it was so good. It's nutty, buttery, and still tastes like squash--not pumpkin pie. It reheated well the next day for my lunch.

Silky Butternut Squash Soup
servings: 4 to 6
4 tablespoons butter
2 medium shallots , minced (about 4 tablespoons)
3 pounds butternut squash (about 1 large), unpeeled, squash halved lengthwise, seeds and stringy fibers scraped with spoon and reserved (about 1/4 cup), and each half cut into quarters
table salt
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon dark brown sugar (trust me, this won't make it sickly sweet)

1. Heat butter in large Dutch oven over medium-low heat until foaming; add shallots and cook, stirring frequently, until softened and translucent, about 3 minutes. Add squash scrapings and seeds and cook, stirring occasionally, until fragrant and butter turns saffron color, about 4 minutes. Add 6 cups water and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt to Dutch oven and bring to boil over high heat; reduce heat to medium-low, place squash cut-side down in steamer basket, and lower basket into pot. Cover and steam until squash is completely tender, about 30 minutes. Off heat, use tongs to transfer squash to rimmed baking sheet; reserve steaming liquid. When cool enough to handle, use large spoon to scrape flesh from skin into medium bowl; discard skin.

2. Pour reserved steaming liquid through mesh strainer into second bowl; discard solids in strainer. Rinse and dry Dutch oven.

3. In blender, puree squash and reserved liquid in batches, pulsing on low until smooth. Transfer puree to Dutch oven; stir in cream and brown sugar and heat over medium-low heat until hot. Add salt to taste; serve immediately.