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Thursday, February 14, 2013

Vanilla Butternut Squash Soup

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First of all, Happy Valentine's Day! Instead of sharing a chocolaty treat, I'm sharing something else I love-soup! A while ago a local St. Louis reader emailed me and mentioned that she'd been to Mosaic and fallen in love with their vanilla butternut squash soup and was hoping I could recreate it. Funnily enough, our friends had also visited Mosaic and mentioned how good the soup was. Disclaimer: I did attempt to recreate this soup with no real knowledge of the soup. I have not tried Mosaic's vanilla butternut squash soup and all I know is that it was simple and sweet. 
I decided to start with one of my favorite sweet potato soup recipes, which is not only simple, but uses Greek yogurt instead of cream to both lighten it and add protein. Something tells me Mosaic does not use Greek yogurt, but I went with it anyway! My version includes a combination of plain and vanilla Chobani, to give it a bit of vanilla taste without overwhelming the soup. I also scraped the seeds from one vanilla bean into the soup to give it an extra boost of pure vanilla flavor. I roasted the butternut squash first to bring out the natural sweetness of the squash, which complements the vanilla.

Again, not knowing what the original version tastes like, I can't claim this is a true copycat recipe. That being said, I still declared it a winner! It's definitely on the sweeter side and the taste of the vanilla really comes through. Much like Mosaic serves theres in small portions, this would make a lovely first course soup or a great lunch when paired with salad and a baguette. Reader Julie, I hope you enjoy!

One Year Ago: Homemade Whole Wheat English Muffins
Two Years Ago: Carrot Spice Muffins
Three Years Ago: Broccoli Cheddar Soup

Vanilla Butternut Squash Soup
inspired by Mosaic Restaurant

Ingredients:
-1 large butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1 inch pieces
-2-3 tbsp olive oil, divided
-salt & pepper
-1 sweet onion, diced
-4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
-1 cup plain Chobani Greek yogurt
-1/2 cup vanilla Chobani Greek yogurt
-seeds from one vanilla bean

Directions:
1. Toss butternut squash with 1-2 tbsp olive oil and place on a baking sheet lined with foil. Season with salt and pepper and roast at 400F for 30-40 minutes, until soft and lightly browned.
2. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large stockpot over medium heat. Add onion and saute until translucent. Add roasted squash and chicken broth. Heat until the mixture begins to bowl. Remove from heat and use an immersion blender to puree until smooth.
3. Stir in plain and vanilla yogurts along with vanilla bean seeds. Heat over medium-low until warmed through. Serve with an additional swirl of Greek yogurt, if desired.