serves 6-8
Ingredients
- 2 large butternut squash or other yellow fleshed sweet squash (even sweet potatoes)
- 6 Tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 medium onions, sliced
- 6 cups chicken stock
- salt and freshly ground pepper
- pinch of freshly ground nutmeg or sugar (if needed)
- honey or molasses for garnish
- sliced natural almonds (toasted)
- minced chives
Preparation
Preheat the oven to 400 °. Prick each squash with the point of a knife (so it won’t explode when it bakes!) Bake about an hour or until the squash feels somewhat soft to the touch and a knife penetrates the skin easily . Let stand until cool enough to handle.Cut them in half through the stem ends. Remove the seeds and scoop the pulp into a bowl.
Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over low heat. Add the sliced onions and cook until they are translucent. Add the chicken stock and squash pulp. Heat to boiling; reduce the heat to simmer for a few minutes. Let this mixture cool a bit; then pour into food processor or food mill. Puree  until smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper. If the squash is starchy rather than sweet add some grated nutmeg. If this doesn’t give you the proper balance, add a pinch of sugar.
To serve, reheat the soup, Garnish with a swirl of  honey, a sprinkle of toasted almonds and minced chives.