Best Ham And Butternut Squash Soup Recipes

CHEF JOHN'S ROASTED BUTTERNUT SQUASH SOUP

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
• Drizzle olive oil into large roasting pan. Add onion, carrots, garlic cloves, and a pinch of salt. Toss until coated in oil. Place squash halves flesh side up on the chopped vegetables. Sprinkle squash with additional salt.
• Roast in preheated oven until squash is tender and easily pierced with the tip of a knife, about 1 hour. Allow vegetables to cool a bit.
• Melt butter over medium heat. Butter will foam, and start to turn a golden brown. Reduce heat to low. When butter turns from golden to a light, nutty brown, remove pan from heat and immediately add sage leaves. Stir to infuse the butter with sage.
• Scoop out squash flesh and place in roasting pan with roasted chopped vegetables. Transfer mixture into large stock pot. Stir in chicken broth, brown sage butter, and maple syrup. Place pot over high heat and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to low; slowly simmer to blend flavors, 45 to 60 minutes. Remove from heat.
• Blend until very smooth with an immersion blender, 3 or 4 minutes. Pass mixture through a strainer to remove any remaining fibrous bits.
• If soup seems too thick, add a few tablespoons of water or chicken broth. Stir in apple cider vinegar, a pinch of salt (or to taste), and cayenne pepper. Garnish servings of soup with a dollop of creme fraiche and chopped chives.

SLOW-COOKER BUTTERNUT SQUASH SOUP

Steps:

• In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion; saute until tender, 4-5 minutes. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Transfer to a 6-qt. slow cooker. Add next 5 ingredients and 5 cups broth to slow cooker. Cook, covered, on low until vegetables are soft, 6-8 hours., Puree soup using an immersion blender. Or cool slightly and puree soup in batches in a blender; return to slow cooker. Stir in additional broth to reach desired consistency; heat through. If desired, top servings with sour cream. Freeze option: Freeze cooled soup in freezer containers. To use, partially thaw in refrigerator overnight. Heat through in a saucepan, stirring occasionally and adding a little broth if necessary.

LOADED BUTTERNUT SQUASH "CORDON BLEU"

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.
• Slowly and carefully cut butternut squash in half lengthwise, starting at the stem end. Scoop out the seeds with a spoon. Slice off about 1/8 inch from the bottom of each half to ensure they lay flat while baking. Transfer onto the prepared baking sheet.
• Place in the center of the preheated oven and roast until tender but not falling apart, 60 to 90 minutes. Remove from the oven and let sit until cool enough to handle. Increase oven temperature to 475 degrees F (245 degrees C).
• Use a spoon to scoop squash into a bowl, leaving about 1/2 inch attached to the skin so it won't collapse and fall apart later.
• Add salt, pepper, Dijon mustard, and egg to squash. Mix and mash with a spoon until smooth, or leave it a bit chunky, if desired. Stir in 1/4 cup green onions, ham, and diced Gruyere cheese; mix until combined.
• Scoop mixture back into the squash shells, distributing as evenly as possible and top with grated Gruyere.
• Bake in the center of the preheated oven until cheese is browned, about 15 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board and top with green onions. Slice and serve.

HAM AND BUTTERNUT SQUASH SOUP

Steps:

• Microwave squash on High 5 minutes or until thawed. In large microwavable bowl, mix squash, broth, cinnamon-sugar and pepper. Microwave uncovered on High 3 to 5 minutes or until thoroughly heated.
• Meanwhile, in 10-inch nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Pat ham dry with paper towels. Cook ham in oil 2 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned. Add rosemary; cook 1 minute longer.
• Ladle soup into 4 bowls; sprinkle ham topping in center of each bowl.