Last week I shared my favorite recipe for Spiced Cranberry Sauce from the cookbook Cooking Secrets of the C.I.A. by the Culinary Institute of America.  (And it’s a real deal on Amazon.com compared to when we bought it full price back in the day!)  My other fall favorite is a delicious Butternut Squash Soup from the same cookbook, and by favorite I mean we’ve made it so much that the book falls open to the page with this recipe.  This light and creamy soup has a wonderful fall-inspired flavor, especially for those of us who are fans of butternut squash.  And if you have a lot of food to prepare on Thanksgiving Day (ok, who doesn’t) you can make the main part of the soup the day before, and resume with Step 5 on the big day.

Butternut Squash Soup with Ginger Cream

2 Tbsp unsalted butter
1 onion, minced
1 stalk celery, cut into 1/4-inch dice
1 small carrot, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch dice
2 tsp minced fresh ginger, divided
2 to 3 cloves garlic, mashed
Two 1-pound butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cubed (about 4 cups)
½ cup dry white wine
5 cups chicken stock
1 small stick cinnamon
¼ tsp grated nutmeg
2 tsp fresh lime juice
½ cup evaporated skim milk
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
½ cup heavy cream, chilled

1. Melt butter in heavy saucepan over medium heat.  Add onion, celery, and carrot and saute until tender, about 5 minutes.
2. Add 1 teaspoon of the ginger and all the garlic and saute for 2 minutes.
3. Add the butternut squash and saute for 2 minutes.
4. Add the wine, stock, cinnamon and nutmeg.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes, or until the squash is completely soft.  Remove the cinnamon stick.  Puree the soup in a food processor.
5. Return soup to the saucepan and add the lime juice and evaporated skim milk.  Bring to a simmer and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper.  Set aside and keep warm.
6. In a deep bowl, whip the heavy cream to soft peaks and fold in the remaining 1 teaspoon ginger.
7. Ladle the soup into warm bowls and serve topped with a spoonful of the ginger cream.

Serves 6