I don’t really like to shop, but I do like to impulse buy. And it usually gets me in trouble. I’m the person who goes into HEB with two items on my list and I leave with those two items. Plus 8 more. And half of those are usually last-minute additions from the magazine rack. I’m a sucker for pretty food. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve grabbed a magazine because I wanted to eat the picture on the cover. I get the mag home, make the one recipe, and then nothing else in the magazine appeals to me. $5 for 1 recipe… not the most efficient way to spend money.

My last score at the register paid off really well, though. I picked up a copy of Better Homes and Garden’s Italian fall edition because of the – surprise – yummy bowl of pasta on the cover. After cooking 5 or 6 items from its pages, my copy now looks like it’s 5 years old – creases, stains, wrinkles, drip marks… the sign of a good issue!

We love having soup for dinner. There’s something really comforting about huddling over a bowl of steamy soup.

This recipe freezes wonderfully. It’s also fairly light with only 1 Tbsp of butter and no heavy cream. I made a full batch knowing full well that I would be the only member of my house to eat it. I portioned the soup into quart-size freezer baggies and froze flat. I also froze the ravioli, pre-cooked, in a baggie and cooked up only a handful at a time while the soup was rewarming.

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Butternut Squash Soup with Ravioli and Sage-Roasted Walnuts

A light and healthy butternut squash soup garnished with ravioli, roasted walnuts, and molasses.

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 lbs butternut squash
• 32 oz vegetable broth
• 1/8 tsp cayenne
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3 Tbsp unsalted butter, divided
• 1/2 cup walnuts, rough chopped
• 1 Tbsp fresh sage, chopped
• 1 9-oz package cheese ravioli, cooked and drained
• Molasses, for garnish

Instructions

1. Make the soup: Peel the squash, halve lengthwise and scoop the seeds. Dice squash into 3/4 inch pieces.
2. In a large sauce pan, combine squash, broth, cayenne, cinnamon, and salt. Cook covered over medium heat until squash is tender, about 30 minutes.
3. Transfer 1/3 of the squash mixture to a blender/food processor and puree until smooth (I don't have an immersion blender... if you have one, this would be a great time to bust it out.) Repeat with remaining squash. Return squash mixture to the pan. Bring to a boil and then simmer for 10 minutes. Whisk in 1 Tbsp butter. Taste for seasoning and adjust - I thought it needed a generous pinch of salt. (To freeze: cool the soup and then divide it among 6 freezer bags and freeze flat in the freezer.)
4. Make the walnuts: Preheat oven to 325. Rough chop walnuts and spread on a small baking sheet. Roast until fragrant, about 5 minutes. Melt 2 Tbsp butter in a small sauce pan over medium heat. When the butter begins to brown, add sage and remove from heat. Toss sage browned butter with toasted walnuts.
5. Serve: Ladle soup into individual bowls. Divide cooked ravioli between the bowls. Drizzle with molasses, top with walnuts, and sprinkle with sea salt if desired.

Notes

Yields: 6 servings

Adapted from Better Homes & Garden, Fall/Winter 2008

Estimated time: 1 hour