Papa Mack's Harvest Soup Recipe

I received this recipe at my wedding. I love to cook so I sent empty recipe cards with the wedding invitations to my guests, asking that they share with me their favorite, staple recipes. I received so many amazing recipes, but this one is my favorite because this soup has been the thing of legend to our family for years. Papa Mack made it up one year for thanksgiving and everyone ate more of the soup than the turkey. Unfortunately, this royally pissed off my aunt who had slaved over the turkey in the oven all day. But still, this soup is a labor of love and well worth the grief it garnered.

Now as I kick off this blog, I share this love with you.

Papa Mack’s Harvest Soup

• ·      1 Acorn Squash
• ·      1 Pkg Butternut squash chunks (Or half a butternut squash, peeled, and cut into 1” in chunks)
• ·      1 Large Sweet Potato (peeled and cut into 1” chunks)
• ·      3-4 carrots (1” chunks)
• ·      1 large sweet onion (1” chunks)
• ·      6 cups chicken stock
• ·      1 can creamed corn
• ·      1/4-1/2 tsp nutmeg (to taste, Papa Mack uses less)
• ·      ½ Pint Heavy Cream
• ·      ¼-1/2 tsp Cayenne Pepper (to taste, Mo Mack uses more!)
• ·      ½ Red Pepper cut into strips, then slivered
• ·      Salt & Pepper to taste
• ·      Sour Cream (as garnish)

Preheat oven to 400°F. Cut the acorn squash in ½ and place in 1 inch of water in a shallow pan. Cover liberally with EVOO, salt, and pepper. Roast for 1 hour, or until fork tender.

While the acorn squash is roasting, prep the other veggies and arrange on shallow foil lined pan. Coat the veggies with a thin layer of oil. Salt and pepper to taste. When the acorn squash is done, lower the oven temp to 350°F and roast 35-45 minutes. Stir halfway through roasting to get color on all surfaces.

During the last ten minutes, bring the stock up to a boil in a good sized soup pot.

Scoop the flesh out of the acorn squash and ½ of the veggies into a blender with 2 cups of hot broth – puree. Chop the other ½ of the roasted veggies to bite sized chunks.

Add slivered red pepper (raw) to pot and the rest of the ingredients. Taste and adjust spices.

Heat through and serve with sour cream swirls. 

If you chose to use a whole butternut squash and you are wondering what to do with the unused half - freeze it! Chop it into 1" chunks and par boil it for 3 minutes, then drop it into an ice bath. Dry it off and pack it into a freezer bag.