Butternut Squash & Chipotle Soup

EDIT: NOW WITH PHOTO! Well, I forgot once again to upload the photo for this recipe, but I thought I'd go ahead and get this post up and add the pic when I get home tonight. I've got a lot on my holiday plate this week, and if I wait until I get home to do the whole thing then it just won't get done! This recipe is an adaptation of the Sweet Potato & Chipotle Soup from the December issue of Everyday Food. Tracy at Shutterbean recently gave it try, and subsequently two thumbs up. I thought this might be a great recipe to adapt so I could use the other half of the butternut squash I'd bought. This was my first attempt at making a squash soup and gladly it came together quite easily. That also meant it was my first time to eat a squash soup, Josh's too. It was really good, I was impressed. That said, it's a cup kind of soup for me, not a bowl. I can't eat too much of it in a sitting before I'm longing for a bit more texture. But it was good, and I would definitely use it as a first course in the future.

Butternut Squash and Chipotle Soup
Adapted from Everyday Food; Serves 4














1 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 medium white onion, chopped
coarse salt & ground pepper
1 teaspoons ground cumin
1 lb. butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1 inch pieces
1 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 whole chipotle chili in adobo, chopped
3.5 cups of low sodium chicken broth
Tortilla chips, for serving

• In a large Dutch oven or heavy pot, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium high heat. Add onion, season with salt and pepper, and cook until beginning to brown around the edges, about 5 mins. Add cumin & garlic and cook, stirring until fragrant, about 1 min. Stir in squash, chile, and broth. Bring to a boil; reduce to a rapid simmer, partially cover and cook until sweet potatoes can be mashed easily with a spoon, 20 to 25 mins.
• Let soup cool slightly. Using an immersion blender, or a blender working in batches, puree the soup. Season with salt & pepper and serve.

My notes: This is a halved version of the original recipe, which served 8. I adjusted for our household size, and for the amount of squash I had on hand. I topped my soup with some broken tortilla chips, which added some texture and a little something to help with the spicyness. I love finding a use for those little chippies at the bottom of the bag!

Best Guacamole Ever

Okay, I don't usually make grandiose statements like the one above. But by now I hope you can trust that I wouldn't mislead you. And I feel pretty secure in the truth of the title of this post. One of my great tastebud pleasures is guacamole, and this recipe comes from my favorite guacamole purveyor, Chipotle. Yes, I said Chipotle. No, not some fancy authentic Mexican restaurant, nor some shack in the Yucatan. I heart lots of guacamole, but my favorite comes from the local fast food burrito bar. So, when I wanted to make guacamole I wanted to know that I was going to love it. I searched the interwebs for the Chipotle recipe, and I found it. And to my great pleasure, it's just as good as the stuff I get with my burrito bowl. So, if you have any faith in me, give it a shot. I really don't think you'll regret it.

Guacamole
Recipe from Chipotle Mexican Grill; Makes appx. 1 cup




















1 large ripe Hass avocado, peeled and pitted
2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
2 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 cup finely chopped red onions
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 serrano chili, seeded,chopped
1/4 teaspoon salt

• In a bowl, mash avocado with fork (or potato masher, like me). Add lime juice and mix. Add all other ingredients and blend well. Serve with tortilla chips. If preparing in advance at all, be sure to place plastic wrap directly on surface of guacamole to help prevent discoloration, and store in refrigerator.

My notes: Confession time- when I made it Monday night I totally forgot the garlic. Result? Still totally delicious. Josh and I ate it all that night, despite that we were practically out of chips. We scooped with tiny shards of tortilla to try and not waste any of it. Make sure you've got plenty of chips when you make it (unlike yours truly), because you won't want to waste any of it either. Also, be sure you don't accidentally throw away your one lonely serrano when you get home and unload the groceries. Not that I'm speaking from previous experience or anything. But they are so small, and can easily wander off.