Hubby had posted on Facebook how much he liked this soup, which started a thread of people asking for the recipe. So here it is, and since they are calling for MORE snow here in Virginia, you can use it to warm yourself up.

Potato Beer Soup

1 large Vidalia onion, chopped

1 12 ounce room temperature beer (I use an IPA)

2.5 pounds of Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks

4 cups of liquid (I used 3 cups of veggie broth and 1 cup of water as I had some leftover broth to use)

1 cup heavy cream

4-5 ounces sharp cheddar cheese (Use one that has been aged for 2 years)

In a soup pot heat 1 Tablespoon of a neutral tasting oil (like canola or grape seed). Add onion and saute until the onion starts to brown and caramelize. Pour the beer in and let it boil for about 5 minutes or so. You want the volume of beer to be reduced by half, though it does not have to be exact.

Add the potatoes and your liquid and simmer until the potatoes are cooked. Puree the soup with an immersion blender until smooth. While stirring with a wooden spoon, slowly pour in the heavy cream. Add the shredded cheese and stir until it melts.

Season with salt and pepper to taste. You will definitely need to add some salt.

The weather here today was cold, rainy, and miserable.  So nothing is better on a day like that then some homemade soup!  Taking stock of the vegetables I had to play with in the kitchen I had:

• Butternut Squash

• Apples (from apple picking the other week)

• Tomatoes (last few from the summer garden)

• Leek

• Garlic

• Jalapeno Pepper (again last few from the summer garden)

So with that bounty I set out to make a Roasted Butternut Squash and Apple Soup!

1 2.5 pound butternut squash; peeled, seeded and chopped

2 apples; peeled, cored and chopped

1 leek (white and light green parts only), sliced

2 tomatoes, cored and chopped

1 jalapeno pepper

3 cloves garlic

1/4 cup spiced rum

4-6 cups water (depends on how thick or thin you want your soup)

Preheat the oven to 425.  Place the squash, apples, leek, and tomatoes in a dark roasting pan.  Toss with olive oil and a little salt and pepper.  Roast for 20 minutes, remove from oven and stir.  Roast for another 20 minutes.

In a large saucepan heat some olive oil over medium heat.  Add the garlic and the pepper and saute until they just start to brown.  Deglaze with the spiced rum.  Add the roasted vegetables and water.  Let the soup come to a boil.  Remove from heat and either transfer in batches to a blender, or go the much easier route and use an immersion blender right in the pot.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  YUM!

If you want your soup to be a little sweeter, give it 1 Tablespoon of honey or agave nectar.

What’s your favorite thing to do with a butternut squash?