Pull out a stockpot and pour in one tablespoon of olive oil. Heat it up over medium-high heat. Season the stew meat with salt and pepper and add 1/3 of the meat** to the stockpot when the oil is hot and shiny. Sear the meat on all sides and remove from the stock pot. Repeat this process for the remaining stew meat until all the pieces are seared.

To the same stockpot, add the onion and sauté 2-3 minutes or until the onion becomes tender. Add the water, beef bouillon, garlic and thyme to the pot. Stir it up and make sure you’re getting all the brown tasty bits off the bottom of the pot. Add the stew back to the stockpot and bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover, and simmer, stirring occasionally for 1 hour.

While the meat is cooking, mix the sour cream and the chipotle peppers together in a small bowl, cover, and refrigerate until serving.

Add the pureed butternut squash and the cumin to the stockpot and give everything a good stir. Continue to simmer for another 20 to 30 minutes or until the stew meat is fork tender.

If the soup is too thick, pour in a little water (or beef broth) to thin it down to the desired consistency. Serve the soup topped with a dollop of the chipotle sour cream and more peppers for a little more heat. Enjoy!