Roasted Butternut Squash and Shallot Soup with Hot Buttered Rum Bread

This post brings you some warm and filling classics that are perfect as the nights move into the afternoon and a briskness jumps into the fall air. Butternut Squash, a fall classic, is served up here as a soup with the flavor of shallots to add some pizazz. I pair the soup with a Rum Bread, a twist on banana bread. There is less banana here than would be in its namesake bread, with rum mixed in for flavoring and warmth, and some butter (or fake butter) melted on top to add a crisp texture. Absolutely divine.

I paired these two sides with my Scallion Bluefish blogged about a couple months back. Check it out or add these to any other entree. Just make sure to continue the theme of warmth and autumn to match the flavors and textures appropriately!

Roasted Butternut Squash and Shallot Soup
Butternut Squash Soup is often actually a bisque - meaning it is full of heavy cream to give it that delicious texture that is so memorable. Bisques, however, while delicious, are like scooping up spoonfuls of liquid lard. Let's just say your cardiologist earns his living off of such soups. This one, however, is a genuine soup made thick with the squash, flavored with shallots and spices, and leaving you still able to run around the block!

Cooking Light has offered up this recipe. While simple, this soup hits the spot. You can substitute vegetable broth in for the chicken broth to create a vegetarian version without losing any of the taste. In fact, feel free to substitute even if you just prefer that flavoring! (Hint: buy several containers of bouillon cubes - chicken, beef, and vegetable. Then use the bouillon and hot water to create broth whenever it is called for in a recipe. This saves both a lot of money and also a lot of time spent running to the store for a can of broth.)

As usual, I also skipped the ginger since I am not a huge fan of the flavor. If you are, however, make sure to toss it in as I am sure it only adds to the recipe! And finally, I added a good amount of cracked black pepper into the soup which is only listed as optional in the recipe. I probably used about 2 teaspoons and stirred it in while the soup was heating over the stove at the end. This provided some extra flavoring in contrast to the sweetness of the squash.

Hot Buttered Rum Quick Bread
And now time for the bread! This recipe is also straight from the magnificent Cooking Light. And this time you can actually pretty much follow it with almost no commentary from me... but a couple quick notes...!

I substituted fake butter (I Can't Believe It's Not Butter) in for the topping butter that is poured on to provided the crispness. However, for the butter used in the actual recipe (beaten with sugar) I used real butter as the consistency is needed to make this recipe truly work. I also did not use any wheat flour, but simply due to the fact I didn't have it on hand rather than an intentional leaving it out. Go for it if you can but if you do not have it around make sure to substitute the equivalent amount of regular flour.

Enjoy this bread plain!