# What to serve with butternut squash soup?



## kdmama33

I'm making a hearty butternut squash soup for dinner. It has bacon, cream, apples ... very filling. I want to serve something to go with it, but I'm feeling uninspired. Any culinary geniuses want to weigh in with brilliant ideas?


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## mamameg

I don't know how genius it is, but I would serve it with some crusty bread. That's the beauty of a hearty soup - you don't need much to go with it.

If you wanted to chef it up a bit, you could toast the bread and then drizzle some sage brown butter on. To make sage brown butter, heat a small pan on medium heat, add desire amount of butter (1/4 is plenty for 4 people), and a half dozen or so sage leaves, and a bit of salt and pepper. Cook over med heat, shaking pan to keep the butter moving. The butter will foam up and then the foam will drop, and at that point, the butter will start to brown. I usually cook it about another 30 seconds or so, until it's nicely browned, but not burnt. YUM! It is particularly good with fall and winter squash dishes.


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## artemis33

This thread has me drooling! I was going to say 'a roasted chicken' from your title, but since reading how hearty the soup is that would probably be too much food.

I'd make that crusty sage butter bread mamameg just posted because it sounds delish (and much more creative than my typical plain buttered crusty bread!).

I think a nice mixed winter greens salad would go really well with it - the kind with baby spinach and escarole and radicchio. Maybe with some sugared pecans or walnuts mixed in. Hardly genious, but it think it would balance out the soup nicely.

Would you mind posting the soup recipe please?







: I think this needs to be in my meal plan for next week


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## VikingKvinna

Quote:


Originally Posted by *artemis33* 
This thread has me drooling! I was going to say 'a roasted chicken' from your title, but since reading how hearty the soup is that would probably be too much food.

I'd make that crusty sage butter bread mamameg just posted because it sounds delish (and much more creative than my typical plain buttered crusty bread!).

I think a nice mixed winter greens salad would go really well with it - the kind with baby spinach and escarole and radicchio. Maybe with some sugared pecans or walnuts mixed in. Hardly genious, but it think it would balance out the soup nicely.

These both sound really good -- for a slight variation on each: salad with mixed greens, pear, blue cheese, and spiced nuts.









And/or: parmesan cheese crisps (toasted crusty bread slices, a little butter, top with parmesan, broil -- kind of like garlic toast w/o the garlic).

Enjoy! I have to make some squash soup soon too.


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## icxcnika

Yes, I love the idea of a nice salad and some crusty bread, and maybe some butter on the side. Yum!


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## Organicavocado

Quote:


Originally Posted by *VikingKvinna* 
These both sound really good -- for a slight variation on each: salad with mixed greens, pear, blue cheese, and spiced nuts.









^Yeah that, I love a little salad with soup!


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## 425lisamarie

I LOVE butternut squash and apple soup! It's probably my favorite in the winter. In fact now I'm going to make some on sunday


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## Ms. B. Sprout

You could also toast up some kale.

Forgive me if you already do this and don't need instructions.







I get curly purple kale, cut it into pieces, coat lightly with olive oil and a bit of salt, and then toast it on a baking sheet for 5 to 7 minutes or so at 350. It's crunchy and delicious.


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## wife&mommy

Am I the only one that wants the soup recipe?







Please??


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## earthmama369

Oh, a crusty sourdough boule with some sharp cheddar cheese or maybe a soft goat cheese and a side of green beans with slivered almonds. I don't know why, but cooked green beans taste really good with a squash soup.


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## catnip

I'm gonna say cornbread. And an arugula, beet and chevre salad with a balsamic dressing and candied pecans or walnuts.


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## shantimama

Some yummy coleslaw with apples in it and a vinaigrette rather than mayo dressing would be simple and yummy too!


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## sphinxie

I want the soup recipe too! What a great thread!


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## kdmama33

This soup is DIVINE! Here's the recipe ...

*Butternut Squash and Apple Soup*

6 slices of bacon
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 carrots, diced
2 celery ribs, diced (I don't dice, I just add the whole ribs and then fish them out before serving. I don't like celery.)
1 or 2 Granny Smith apples (I use Gala, as that's what is growing on my tree. Any firm, slightly tart apple would work.)
2 garlic cloves, finely minced
3 lbs fresh butternut squash, peeled, seeded and roughly chopped
4 cups chicken broth
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 1/2 tablespoons honey
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/8 tsp allspice
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1/8 tsp ground red pepper
1/4 cup cream (I use heavy cream.)
sour cream for garnish
ground red pepper for garnish
bacon, crumbled, for garnish

Cook bacon in large soup pot until crispy. Remove bacon and set aside to drain. Discard bacon grease, reserving 2 tablespoons in the pot. (Crumble bacon when cool.)

Add onions and carrots to soup pot. Saute for approximately five minutes over medium heat until onions are soft. Add celery and apple and saute for another five minutes. Add garlic and saute very briefly, approximately one minute.

Add squash and chicken broth. Increase heat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat again and allow to simmer for about 20 minutes until carrots are tender.

(If you used whole celery, remove it now.) If you have an immersion blender, process the mixture in the pot until smooth. If not, CAREFULLY process the mixture in a blender or food processor until smooth. Return mixture to pot.

Stir in lime juice. Add all remaining ingredients (except garnish) and 2 pieces of reserved crumbled bacon. Simmer for an additional ten minutes until thickened. (Be sure not to boil again as the cream will not be so lovely.)

Garnish with remaining bacon, sour cream, and red pepper.

WARNING! This soup has a bit of a kick to it, so you might want to reduce the red and/or black pepper. It's not much kick, mostly heat, but I wanted to put out an FYI for those of you don't appreciate the heat so much.

Thanks for all of the replies. I did serve a pear, blue cheese, winter greens salad with this, which was perfect. And we had a lovely GF sourdough, too. Delicious!


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## dealic

Thanks! Your recipe is now officially residing in my cook book! It really looks good.


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## sphinxie

kdmama, thank you!


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## Tanzie

sounds so good!i think it would be overkill to have anything else along with such a wonderful hearty soup maybe just a lite salad and some crusty bread?


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## wife&mommy

Wow it looks great!


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## [email protected]

Yum! This is my favorite time of year because 1) wintersquash is in season and 2) it cools down enough for me to want to eat soup. Thanks for the recipe I'll try it out this week.

As far as accompaniments - I'll second the suggestion of goat cheese, maybe toasted on a slice of crusty bread or breaded and baked then dropped in the soup like a crouton. The tangy flavor of the goat cheese is one of my favorite combos with the sweet winter squash.


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