What's cooking Wednesday: Golden Harvest Soup

Today's What's Cooking Wednesday is, according to the cookbook authors, intended as a fall recipe but it is so darn good, that I cook it right through the winter and start up again around August if there is a cool evening. Not only is it possibly my all-time favourite soup, it is extremely easy to make and good for you, too! Believe it or not!

The recipe is from the very first cookbook my mum ever bought me and it remains one of my favourites. It is The Canadian living Cookbook - the big grey mother of a cookbook that they put out in 1987. I just checked Amazon.ca out of interest to see what this book is listed for now. Clearly it is sought after because the lowest price that it is available (new & used) is $101.50. Pretty sure my mum didn't pay that in 1993.

I took a photo of this soup. But, my camera, that I bought a short two months ago or so is, in a word or two, totally shitty. I hate it. I hate it because several times now I have taken photos and I go to download them and the card is empty. One of those times was when I took the girls skating with me on a perfect winter afternoon. Emily and I shared a beavertail and skated around and it was wonderful. I documented a few really great moments that I'll now have to rely on my damn memory for. I've tried two different memory cards and I am still losing photos that I know were there because I checked them in review mode. The problem is the camera, not the cards, not the batteries. Tomorrow, Henry's is getting an earful from a righteously pissed off mom who wants a damn camera to reliably take pictures of her damn gorgeous kids and damn gorgeous soup! Is that too much to ask?

Ahem. On with the recipe.

Golden Harvest Soup

1/4 cup butter
1 large onion, chopped
2 leeks (white part only), chopped - or if no leeks, just use two onions instead
1 large potato, peeled and diced
1 cup thinly slicked carrots
2 cups diced butternut squash, in 1/2 inch cubes
3 cups chicken stock
1 1/2 cups light cream (or as much as you feel is necessary)
1/4 cup dry white wine (I used closer to 1/2 cup)
salt and pepper

In large heavy pot, melt butter and cook onion and leeks until softened but not browned. Stir in potato, carrots and squash; cook, stirring, for 2 to 3 minutes. Pour in stock, cover and simmer for about 20 minutes or until vegetables are tender.

Puree in food processor or blender until very smooth. Return to saucepan.

Stir in cream to desired consistency. Stir in wine and heat until very hot but do not boil. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Seriously this is the easiest and tastiest soup in my repertoire. You gonna love it!