Recipe Review: Butternut Squash Soup

I got this recipe from the Food Network (www.foodtv.com) website, and it's copyrighted, so I'll give you a link to the original:

Butternut Squash Soup

I started out by getting all my ingredients together, and then discovered that I was out of sage, which is the only herb in the recipe. I decided to substitute thyme for sage, and updated my shopping list.

This soup took longer to cook than the recipe suggested. I wanted to make sure the squash was very soft before I put the stick blender in it, so it would puree into a very creamy soup. I think the extended cooking time may have been due to an old, stringy squash - this is the end of winter and the poor thing had been in storage for months. 

The soup is very heavy on the tomatoes, which I enjoyed - most other butternut squash soups I've made have been potato-based.  It's hearty, with a complex fruity flavor. It calls for a finish with basalmic vinegar, which gives it just a slight sourness. It was very filling and warm, and I "presented" it with a little parmesan sprinkled on top, and some black pepper. My darling slurped through one bowl and went back for seconds, so it passed the "guy" test. Not too fru-fru, solid, good food.

I served it with freshly baked oven rolls, and it was the perfect "supper for two." I have leftovers in the fridge for a repeat performance sometime this week when I'm too busy to cook.

Overall, I'd give it four stars - tasted great, but it took longer to prep and cook than the directions suggested.