Butternut Squash Soup with Crabmeat for Halloween

I’m loving these chilly mornings, warm afternoons and cool nights. It’s Halloween tomorrow and what better than a big bowl of soup for everyone before they head out the door trick or treating.

At the store this morning  I couldn’t fail to see the abundance of pumpkin and squash and decided that butternut squash with crusty bread would be delicious for lunch today. As I a passed the fish counter they were just putting out fresh crab. I thought, that will take my soup to the next level.

Here’s my recipe. I don’t add carrots and celery like a lot of people do, because I prefer a more intense butternut squash flavor. It’s a perfect do-ahead recipe for the family over the holidays too. Oh, and if you don’t like crabmeat, then leftover turkey chopped into this soup is divine. The soup keeps for three days in the refrigerator.

Butternut Squash and Crab Soup

1 Tbs unsalted butter

1 Tbs olive oil

2 pounds butternut squash, peeled and cubed

1 large yellow onion, diced

1 quart chicken broth

4 large cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon fresh sage leaves, finely chopped

1 cup heavy cream

8 ounces lump crab meat

1 Tbs chopped fresh chives

Salt and pepper, to taste

In a large pan add the oil and butter and sauté the onions and garlic with a pinch of salt until translucent and soft. Add the butternut squash and 2/3’s  of the chicken broth and cook until the squash is tender. Remove about a dozen pieces of squash to a plate and set aside.

Add the cream and sage to the soup mix and blend until smooth. Add the remaining chicken broth if needed to make the right consistency. Season with salt and pepper.

Return the soup to the pan and bring almost to a boil, but don’t boil. Divide the crab between soup bowls and ladle the soup over the crab. Drop the reserved pieces of squash into the soup, sprinkle with the chives and serve with crusty bread.