Recipe(tried): Butternut Squash Soup

Page, here is another soup that would work. I love the strawberry soup. It is a chilled one and this recipe is hot so one of each to choose from. Do you want to serve more than one kind or keep it all one?

Butternut Squash Soup

10 tablspoons butter
1 cup chopped white onions
1 1/2 cups chopped celery
1 1/2 teaspoons garlic, finely chopped
1 1/2 pounds butternut squash
4 tablspoons chicken granules or 2 cubes
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
1/2 teaspoon sage
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
2 quarts water
3/4 cup flour
1 1/2 teaspoons Worcesterhsire sauce
1/2 cup sherry, optional
1 cup heavy whipping cream, warmed
1 cup half and half, warmed

Whipping cream and half and half may be replaced with chicken broth

Melt 3 tablespoons butter in large pan over medium heat. Add onions, celery and garlic. Saute until tender. Peel and remove seeds from squash and cut into small cubes. Add the squash, chicken granules or cubes, pepper, sage, thyme, nutmeg and water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 15-20 minutes or until squash is tender. Put 3/4 of mixture in blender and puree, then return to pot. (I pureed the whole batch) Place remaining butter in large skillet over low to medium heat until melted and bubbly. Stirring constantly, add flour and cook 3-4 minutes or until roux turns light golden. Add 3-4 cups hot soup to the mixture, stirring to dissolve all lumps completely. return to pot and stir until soup begins to thicken. Add W. sauce, sherrry, warm cream and half and half or chicken brother. Garnish with parsley. Makes 1 gallon.
I think I actually like it better with the broth in place of dairy products. It isn't quite so rich to serve as a first course.