Golden Winter Soup from Cooking Light January/February 2008

This is a very yummy soup! It is simple yet flavorful and I would like to thank the January/February 2008 edition of Cooking Light for publishing it!

Golden Winter Soup

2 tablespoons of butter
5 cups (1/2 inch) cubed peeled butternut squash (about 1 1/2 pounds)
2 cups (1/2 inch) cubed peeled russet potato (about 12 ounces)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 cups sliced leek (about 2 medium)
4 cups fat-free, less sodium chicken broth (I use gluten free chicken broth.)
1 cup half-and-half
12 ounces baguette, cut into 16 slices (for my non-gluten free friends & family)
3/4 cup (3 ounces) shredded Gruyere cheese
3 tablespoons chopped chives
Freshly ground black pepper (optional)

1. Preheat Broiler
2. Melt butter in large dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add squash, potato, salt and pepper to pan; saute 3 minutes. Add leek; saute 1 minute. Stir in broth; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes or until potato is tender, stirring occasionally. Place half of the potato mixture in a blender. Remove the center piece of blender lid (to allow steam to escape); secure blender lid on blender. (I use an immersion blender. I highly recommend it.) Place a clean towel over opening in blender lid (to avoid splatters). Blend until smooth. Pour into a large bowl. Repeat procedure with remaining potato mixture. Stir in half-and-half. Cover and keep warm.
3. Arrange bread slices in a single layer on a baking sheet; sprinkle evenly with cheese. Broil bread slices 2 minutes or until golden. Ladle 1 cup soup into each of 8 bowls; top each serving with about 1 each serving. Garnish with freshly ground black pepper, if desired. Yield: 8 servings.