Creamy Yellow Squash Soup

Time to introduce myself - I'm Anne's third daughter, Whitney.  I'm the only daughter that lives close to Mom, and the two of us like to get together whenever we can for a little "cooking therapy".  

We are a family of four, but often times only three are at our table.  My husband has very busy periods at work which often leaves me alone persuading (begging!) my two stubborn toddlers to eat. I married a Southern boy with a drawl and an expectation that food is always paired with football. I'm slowly learning some of his favorite southern dishes.  I remember there being lots of spilled milk around our childhood table.  There is plenty of that at my table today.  My family is in the stage of sticky fingers and temper tantrums over eating peas. Cooking with young kids can sometimes be less than motivating to get dinner on the table, but I enjoy baking a treat after the kids are in bed. Our favorites are chocolate chip cookies and rice crispy scotcheroos.

With summer on it's way out, and fall on it's way IN - we decided to whip up a new soup recipe I found using the yellow squash that is taking over this part of the planet right now.  

Most squash (or veggie based) soups have a boatload of cream, sour cream, cream cheese, or whatever it takes to make them a little more flavorful.  That defeats the purpose of a veggie soup in my mind.  So when I saw this recipe, and noticed it only has BUTTERMILK for an added ingredient - it was hard to believe.  But when squash is cheap (uh... FREE) - why not give it a try?  You'll also notice it has a small amount of potato as an ingredient.  We think that is one of the things that adds to the creaminess and makes it silky smooth.

Just a few things to know first:  If you're using a squash the size of a LOG (Did you forget to pick for a few days?  Surprise!) - be sure to remove all the seeds and soft pulp in the center.  

Next - don't season until the soup is finished.  The original recipe didn't call for any salt, pepper, or seasoning of any kind.  We felt it needed some salt (but not much!) and spice.  We did a little taste test with Cumin and Curry Powder.  It was hard to decide - they both added a nice warmth that we loved.  If you salt this, take it easy - and add in 1/2 tsp increments, tasting as you go.  We used about 1-1/2 tsp salt.  

The buttermilk is totally under cover - you'll never know it's there.  We think it adds just enough tang to the bland squash.  And to think this is a low calorie soup too - a bonus!  

The acid test was feeding it to my little guy (soon to be age 2 - and he dissects most of what is on his plate first before attempting it)  He had three bowls - gone in a flash.  

Before your squash freezes - give this a try, you won't be sorry.