Butternut Squash and White Bean Soup

I am generally not a fan of Squash, but this soup is really hearty in the winter. And everyone loves it (even the baby). And it hardly takes any time to make. Don't waste your time chopping the onion and squash to bits, as you will puree in the end.

Here is what you need...
1-2 Onions chopped (one big, or two small)
Olive Oil
1 bay leaf
1 butter nut squash (peeled and chopped into small cubes)
White Cannelloni Beans (either 1 cup dried* or 1 1/2 cans)
6 cups broth (chicken if you want a lighter soup, beef if you want it a little heartier)

Heat up Olive Oil in a big dutch oven or stock pot
once the oil is hot, add onion and bay leaf
let it cook for about 15 minutes (until onions are translucent and smell good)
Add the butternut squash and toss it with the onions for about 5 minutes
Add broth (make sure the squash is covered by the broth)
let it cook until the squash is done (soft enough to stick a fork through) - maybe 20 minutes
Add cooked beans and mix
Remove the bay leaf and puree the soup in a Cuisinart - you will have to do this in batches unless you somehow have a chefs kitchen (in which case - share some of YOUR recipes)
Put it all back in the original pot and warm.

You can eat it alone, over some fresh bread or with a poached egg on top. Also, it freezes well.

Yum!

*If you are using dried beans here is what you do:
soak beans overnight in cold water - drain them in the morning and cook them or put them in a Ziploc bag and keep them in the fridge.
to cook, put the beans in a pot with enough water to cover the beans by 1-2 inches.
Cook the beans for about an hour to an hour and a half.
Test 4-5 beans before you decide if they are done or not. Some of these guys are sneaky and wont cook as fast as their buddies.