Chicken Chowder with Butternut Squash

So, we were talking about soup, right?  About how I would eat soup every day?  Soup is awesome.  It's fast, it's easy, and the possibilities are endless.  Asparagus soup, lentil soup, onion soup, broccoli cauliflower soup, butternut squash soup, Italian wedding soup, tomato soup.  We haven't even begun to scratch the surface.  If you can think of a food, you can turn it into a soup.  (There may be limitations to this rule.  However, seven-year-old Caleb would certainly tell you that ice cream soup is a thing and is the most delicious way to eat ice cream.)

If there were a king of soups, it would be chowder.  I don't quite know what the responsibilities of this soup monarch would be, but they would probably involve preventing squabbles between the bisques and the consummes.  Soup equality, and all that.  I personally refuse to recognize chilled soups as a legitimate sect of the kingdom, but what the Soup King does is his business.  

Chowder is the soup equivalent of a casserole, or, as we liked to say in my house growing up, leftover night.  You have some potatoes that are starting to sprout?  In the pot!  Leeks, onions, beans, rice, leftover meat?  In they go.  Whatever bits and pieces that are a few hours away from hitting the compost bin are simmered in broth, half of it pureed, and dairy products added (I figured you couldn't go wrong with throwing milk, cream, and cheese in).
 

The result is a comforting meal in a bowl.  You get your veggies, protein, and carbs all in one.  And it's even better the next day.  Plus, you can make it all in one pot.  Which makes your dishwasher (the machine and human kinds) happier, too.

Chicken Chowder with Butternut Squash
Serves 6

Cubing butternut squash seems intimidating at first, but it's really not.  First, slice the top off, and then cut the squash in half lengthwise.  You can scoop out the seeds at this point.  Then a normal peeler will take that skin right off.  Chop it up, and you're good to go.  Of course, you can by the packaged kind that comes in nice little cubes already.  I won't tell.

2 leeks, sliced thinly
olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 can Cannellini beans, drained
chicken broth
1/2 c brown rice (or other grain)
2 c cubed potatoes
3 carrots, chopped
1 c cubed butternut squash (see note)
2 cooked chicken breasts, chopped
1/4 c cream
1/4 c whole milk
1/2 c shredded Swiss cheese
salt and pepper

Saute the leeks in olive oil in a large pot until soft (about three minutes).  Add garlic and saute for a minute longer, and then add the beans and brown rice.  Cover with chicken broth, and let cook for 20 minutes.  Add the potatoes, carrots, and squash, and cover with chicken broth again.  Cook for 20 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender.

Pour half the mixture into a blender, and blend for a few seconds.  Pour back into the pot with the rest of the potato mixture.  And the chicken, cream, milk, and cheese.  Stir for a few minutes, and season with salt and pepper to taste.