Soup that warms your soul...

I'm so excited for Thanksgiving this week! I can't wait to eat all of the delicious recipes and to be able to sit down with all of my family and just be together!

The thought of it just warms my soul... ok, that was sooo cheesy! But I am going somewhere with all of this warmth, I promise!

Soup. Soup is warm. Soup warms your soul... and one of my favorite soups has to be Butternut Squash & Leek Soup.

(see, i told you i was going somewhere with that!)

This recipe is truly easy and only has 3 steps to it. It's a great way to start your Thanksgiving meal and a real palate opener for all the rest of the foods that are about to come! It's also a fantastic fast recipe for a cold night during the winter!

I hope that you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving and I'm giving thanks to all of you who follow my blog and try out these recipes! Happy Thanksgiving friends. May this soup warm your soul! (I couldn't resist one last bit of cheesyness!)

Butternut Squash & Leek Soup

Ingredients

1 tablespoon butter

1 leek stalk, chopped

2 stalk celery, chopped

1 medium carrot, chopped

2 medium potatoes, cubed

1 large butternut squash - peeled, seeded, and cubed (also can buy pre-packaged frozen or fresh squash from the supermarket)

1 container chicken stock

salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions

Melt the butter in a large pot, and cook the leek, celery, carrot, potatoes,and squash 5 minutes, or until the celery & leek are translucent. Pour in enough of the chicken stock just to cover the vegetables. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover pot, and simmer 40 minutes, or until all vegetables are tender.

Transfer the soup to a blender, and blend until smooth. Return to pot, and mix in any remaining stock if it's a little too thick. Season with salt and pepper.

**sidenote**

For a smokier flavor, you can put the cubed pieces of squash into the oven, drizzle with olive oil and roast them for 15 to 20 minutes.

For a creamier soup, can add up to 1/2 cup heavy cream into blender.

Fresh Herbs, i.e. Cilantro, Thyme, Chives or Finely Chopped Dill would be a delicious addition to sprinkle on top of each bowl.

Slice 1/4 inch thick slices of french bread, drizzle with olive oil and toast in the oven- use them to dip into the soup or even lay a slice on top.

If you wanna go the extra mile, it would be extra festive if you could find some pumpkin or squash looking bowls to serve this in.

Please feel free to email me any stories, memories or recipes that you would like to recreate at michelle@foodfromthehearttv.com!