Inspired by myrecipes.com

Serves 8

Ingredients

  • 2 T butter
  • 5 lb (~5 cups) butternut squash (or other winter squash), peeled and cubed 
  • 2c potatoes, peeled and cubed 
  • 1 tsp salt
  • ½ tsp black pepper
  • 2 medium leeks, thinly sliced
  • 4 c chicken broth
  • 1 c half and half
  • 12 oz baguette, cut into 16 slices
  • 3 ounces shredded Swiss cheese (or Gruyere)
  • 3 T chives, chopped (optional)

Instructions

  1. Preheat broiler. Melt the butter in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the squash, potatoes, salt and pepper to the pan and sauté for about 3 minutes. Add the leeks and sauté for 1 minute. Stir in the broth and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 20 minutes or until the potatoes are tender, stirring occasionally.
  2. Place half of the potato mixture into a blender. Remove the center piece of the blender lid (to allow steam to escape) and secure the blender lid on the blender. Place a clean towel over the opening in the blender lid (to avoid splatters). Blend until smooth. Pour into a large bowl. Repeat the procedure with the remaining potato mixture. Stir in the half-and-half. Cover and keep warm.
  3. Arrange the bread slices in a single layer on a baking sheet and sprinkle evenly with cheese. Broil the bread slices for 2 minutes or until golden. Ladle 1 cup of soup into each of the 8 bowls and top each serving with about 1 teaspoon of chives. Serve 2 bread slices with each serving.