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1
Trim and discard the ends of the celery and cut into 1/2-inch slices.
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2
Peel and coarsely chop the onion, carrot, and potatoes.
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3
Cut the squash in half across the neck, then put the halves cut side down on the cutting board and cut each half in half.
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4
Scoop out the seeds and strings with a spoon.
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5
Peel the squash with a vegetable peeler or cut it off with your knife, and cut into 3/4-inch chunks.
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6
Place the celery, onion, carrot, potatoes, squash, water, and bouillon cubes in a large pot and bring to a boil.
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7
Simmer over medium-low heat for 25 to 30 minutes, or until all the vegetables are tender.
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8
Ladle some of the vegetables and liquid into a blender (dont fill the blender jar more than halfway) and cover first with the lid, then with a towel.
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9
Blending hot soup can cause the top to pop off, making a huge mess and maybe even burning you.
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10
Holding the top down tightly, puree the first batch until smooth.
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11
Pour the pureed soup into a large bowl and continue pureeing the remaining soup in batches.
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12
Pour the soup back into the saucepan and cook over low heat for 5 minutes, or until warm.
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13
Season with salt and pepper.
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14
Ladle into bowls and top with a spoonful of sour cream, if desired.
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15
Season with salt and pepper can be frightening words to a novice cook.
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16
You immediately start to wonder how much is enough and what is too much.
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17
Exact amounts for salt and pepper arent generally listed because the amount of seasoning needed varies based on the brands and types of ingredients used and on personal taste.
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18
The easy answer is to add a little, give it a chance to dissolve, and taste it.
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19
Each time you add a little more you should notice a slight difference.
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20
The first few times you will probably have to add seasonings over and over until it tastes right, but after a while you will get the hang of how much to start with and it will go much quicker.
