Thanksgiving Soup

I have been an inveterate recipe collector for more than forty years. I started clipping from the food page of the New York Times before I knew who Craig Claiborne was and possibly before Julia Child aired her great series on Public Television. The following recipe for Thanksgiving soup gets people to request an encore in following years. The truth is I have no idea where the recipe came from or who wrote it Whoever can claim authorship gets our sincere thanks for a superb job.



Butternut Squash Soup with Marala and Thyme



1 Butternut squash, about 3 lbs., halved with fibers and seeds removed

6 slices bacon, chopped

2 large yellow onions, chopped

1 1/2 tsp. chopped fresh thyme

5 1/2 cups low sodium chicken broth

1/3 cup heavy cream

3 T. marsala or dry sherry

Pinch cayenne pepper

salt and freshly ground black pepper

Fresh Thyme leaves



Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Serves 10-12



In a baking pan, place the squash, cut sides down. Add water to the pan toa depth of1/4 inch. Bake until squash is tender, about 50 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool. Using a spoon, scrape the flesh from the skin. You will need 3 3/4 cups for this soup. reserve any remaining squash for another use.



In a large, heavy saucepan, over medium heat, saute the bacon until the fat is rendered, about 3 minutes. Add onions and chopped thyme and saute until tender, about 8 minutes. Remove from heat.



Transfer the onion mixture to a food processor. In 2 or more batches, add the squash and puree until almost smooth, but not totally smooth. Return the puree to the saucepan. Place over medium-low heat and mix in 5 1/2 cups broth. Simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally for 20 minutes to blend the flavors. Stir in the cream and the marsala. Add cayenne and season to taste with salt and pepper. If the soup is too thick, thin with additionl broth. Simmer for 5 minutes.



Ladle into bowls and garnish with thyme leaves, if desired.