Soup recipe and yield

[Beth]

Got this recipe in the mail today

Spice Apple and Butternut Squash Soup

1/4 c unsalted butter
2 large onions
2 large Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and chopped
1 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground allspice
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
4 butternut squashes, peeled, halved lengthwise, seeded adn cut into 1 inch cubes
3 qts chicken stock
salt and pepper to taste.

Simple prep (saute onions and apples until soft, add spices, then stock and squash and cook until tender -- then puree. Add more stock if desired. Says 6-8 servings, no indication what size servings.

Now, just with the amount of chicken stock, that would give you six 2 cup servings before you add the apples, onions (realize they will cook down) or squash -- larger than average for soup. Then for comparison's sake, I found this recipe

Roasted Butternut Squash and Shallot Soup
Spicy fresh ginger complements the sweet roasted winter squash and shallots in this easy soup recipe. Serve with a grilled cheese sandwich for a simple supper.

Cooking Light NOVEMBER 2008

Yield: 6 servings (serving size: 2/3 cup soup and 1 teaspoon chives)
Ingredients
4 cups (1-inch) cubed peeled butternut squash (about 1 1/2 pounds)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 large shallots, peeled and halved
1 (1/2-inch) piece peeled fresh ginger, thinly sliced
2 1/2 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
2 tablespoons (1-inch) slices fresh chives
Cracked black pepper (optional)
Preparation
1. Preheat oven to 375°.

2. Combine first 5 ingredients in a roasting pan or jelly-roll pan; toss well. Bake at 375° for 50 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Cool 10 minutes.

3. Place half of squash mixture and half of broth in a blender. Remove center piece of blender lid (to allow steam to escape); secure blender lid on blender. Place a clean towel over opening in blender lid (to avoid splatters). Blend until smooth. Pour into a large saucepan. Repeat procedure with remaining squash mixture and broth. Cook over medium heat 5 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Top with chives and pepper, if desired.

Add to the equation that all butternut squash are not the same size and then wonder -- just how much soup would this recipe make if you cooked it as written (ignoring the fact that most of us would not use a full stick of butter to cook the onions and apples and might sub)? Curious to hear other's thoughts.

[LeaHamm]

[QUOTE=Beth;Spice Apple and Butternut Squash Soup
1/4 c unsalted butter
2 large onions
2 large Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and chopped
1 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground allspice
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
4 butternut squashes, peeled, halved lengthwise, seeded adn cut into 1 inch cubes
3 qts chicken stock
salt and pepper to taste.
"ignoring the fact that most of us would not use a full stick of butter to cook the onions and apples and might sub)[/QUOTE]

The way I am reading the recipe, the amount of butter is 4 tablespoons - not a full stick of butter (1/2 cup).

[Varaile]

Spice Apple and Butternut Squash Soup

1/4 c unsalted butter
2 large onions
2 large Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and chopped
1 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground allspice
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
4 butternut squashes, peeled, halved lengthwise, seeded adn cut into 1 inch cubes
3 qts chicken stock
salt and pepper to taste.

I'm also assuming that is 4 CUPS of butternut squash and NOT 4 Butternut squash?

For serving and yield, I think closer to 12 (1 1/2 or 2 cup) servings would be about right if you are using 3 quarts of chicken broth with 4 cups of butternut squash and two apples.

1 qt is 32oz x 3 = 96oz/8 oz per cup = 12 cups.

Unless my math is wrong...

[Canice]

Three quarts of chicken broth?! When a recipe calls for 1 quart I often don't use it all. I'm not so sure they do mean 4 cups squash, as that would be awfully thin, no? But four squashes? Weird.

[Beth]

The way I am reading the recipe, the amount of butter is 4 tablespoons - not a full stick of butter (1/2 cup).

You are right -- I am tired. But my point there was that it wasn't really going to make a significant impact onthe recipe's yield.

I'm also assuming that is 4 CUPS of butternut squash and NOT 4 Butternut squash?

For serving and yield, I think closer to 12 (1 1/2 or 2 cup) servings would be about right if you are using 3 quarts of chicken broth with 4 cups of butternut squash and two apples.

1 qt is 32oz x 3 = 96oz/8 oz per cup = 12 cups.

Unless my math is wrong...

The first recipe definitely says 4 squashes, but I'm wish you -- even 4 cups of squash would yield 6-8 very large servings. It made me think about what the yield would be if you made it as written. I found a site that gives 1-1/2 lbs for a large buutternut -- or about 3 cups. If you made the recipe as written with squash that size, you would have 24 cups of broth and squash. That's 6 quarts (plus any added for the onions, apples and additional broth if needed) -- 24 one cup servings. But I suspect the apple/squash and spice flavors would be off, so you'd add some more.... That's a lot of soup.

[Beth]

Three quarts of chicken broth?! When a recipe calls for 1 quart I often don't use it all. I'm not so sure they do mean 4 cups squash, as that would be awfully thin, no? But four squashes? Weird.

I wonder if they had a commercial recipe -- from a smaller restaurant or something, and didn't cut it down enough or consistently?

I liked the idea, but I bet I have a more dependable recipe to work with. And for some reason I've been wanting to find the Muligatawny recipe I made last year. Must be the name "October" and the cool front that just came through. Beautiful fall weather here.

[Soupandstew]

I would go with 4 cups of squash and start with about one quart of chicken or veg stock. The onions and apples will release a lot of liquid and you can always add stock when you puree it to get a consistency you like. Personally, I would go 50/50 butter and olive oil because, given the spicing and vegs, I don't think reducing the butter would hurt the flavor profile. This is why I occasionally rant about recipes that say one large this or two small that - give me finite quantities like cups or tablespoons please!

[Anne]

This is why I occasionally rant about recipes that say one large this or two small that - give me finite quantities like cups or tablespoons please!

I agree. I've bought butternut squash that were under 2 pounds and as large as 5 or 6 pounds. Four of the 6 pounders would be a lot of squash.

[Varaile]

And this year my butternut squash are pushing 6-8lbs. I might have one that's more than 8lb.

Even at 1-2lbs, 4 squash seems excessive. I don't think I've ever used more than one butnut in a soup recipe.

I just dug out one of my Husbands favorite soups: Pumpkin, Vanilla and Wild Garlic Soup (Irish Pub Cookbook by Margaret M. Johnson) and it calls for 2lbs pumpkin (we sub butnut) and 3 cups of liquid total (2 cups stock, 1 cup 1/2 n 1/2) Very creamy.

I never dreamed I would say this, but I would love it if more weights were given. Like for produce. 1 zucchini... well, is that a little zucchini? a medium zucchini? How much is ONE zucchini? Now if you say 1lb, I know I need *1lb*.

[peachesncream]

I found what seems to be the same recipe here, and it has a more specific amount of squash:

http://recipes.epicurean.com/recipe/...pple-soup.html

Ina Garten has a Butternut Squash and Apple Soup recipe that is good. It doesn't have the same spices, though; it uses mild curry powder.