I harvested a few nice pumpkins and squash from my garden yesterday and almost as if it had been scripted, the weather turned rainy and cool today with the wine country's first rain of the season. A hardy butternut squash soup was the perfect meal for a day like today.
The method behind making this soup is very simple. By understanding the basic sequence of steps, you can make many other types of soups by substituting different vegetables for the butternut squash. Some examples are cream of asparagus, cream of mushroom, cream of potato, cream of broccoli, cream of fennel, etc... you get the idea. Here are the basic steps:
1. sweat some form or combination of onions in a pan (onions, shallots, leeks)
2. add some celery and/or carrots.
3. add some garlic
4. deglaze with some alcohol appropriate in flavor to what you're making. As an example, in cream of fennel soup, deglazing with Pernod or Ricard is a perfect pair for the anise flavor of the fennel.
5. Add the vegetable. If the vegetable requires significant cooking to make it soft like the butternut squash, bake it in advance and then add it it at this time. But, say, for cream of mushroom, you can just add it raw at this point since it require very little cooking.
6. Add some stock appropriate to the soup. Most often either chicken stock or vegetable stock are the most appropriate.
7. Add some herbs and season with salt and pepper
8. Cook for 20-30 minutes
9. Add some cream and cook for another 10-15 minutes
10. Blend the soup to make it creamy.
11. you can choose to strain the soup for extra silky texture, or keep it slightly textured without straining.
Cream of butternut squash soup
Ingredients:
-2 TBS olive oil
-1 butternut squash
-1 leek finely sliced
-1 shallot finely chopped
-1 clove of garlic chopped
-1 celery stalk chopped
-1 Bay leaf
1 TBS chopped parsley
1 tsp chopped thyme
1/2 cup white wine
1/4 cup cream (I like heavy Cream)
The method behind making this soup is very simple. By understanding the basic sequence of steps, you can make many other types of soups by substituting different vegetables for the butternut squash. Some examples are cream of asparagus, cream of mushroom, cream of potato, cream of broccoli, cream of fennel, etc... you get the idea. Here are the basic steps:
1. sweat some form or combination of onions in a pan (onions, shallots, leeks)
2. add some celery and/or carrots.
3. add some garlic
4. deglaze with some alcohol appropriate in flavor to what you're making. As an example, in cream of fennel soup, deglazing with Pernod or Ricard is a perfect pair for the anise flavor of the fennel.
5. Add the vegetable. If the vegetable requires significant cooking to make it soft like the butternut squash, bake it in advance and then add it it at this time. But, say, for cream of mushroom, you can just add it raw at this point since it require very little cooking.
6. Add some stock appropriate to the soup. Most often either chicken stock or vegetable stock are the most appropriate.
7. Add some herbs and season with salt and pepper
8. Cook for 20-30 minutes
9. Add some cream and cook for another 10-15 minutes
10. Blend the soup to make it creamy.
11. you can choose to strain the soup for extra silky texture, or keep it slightly textured without straining.
Cream of butternut squash soup
Ingredients:
-2 TBS olive oil
-1 butternut squash
-1 leek finely sliced
-1 shallot finely chopped
-1 clove of garlic chopped
-1 celery stalk chopped
-1 Bay leaf
1 TBS chopped parsley
1 tsp chopped thyme
1/2 cup white wine
1/4 cup cream (I like heavy Cream)
Preheat the oven to 350
Begin by cutting the butternut squash in half lengthwise and remove the seeds and the soft flesh. Brush with some olive oil. You can season it with salt and pepper or just wait until the soup is all composed to do it. Place on a sheet pan and bake until you can easily insert a fork in the thick fleshy part of the squash.
Begin by cutting the butternut squash in half lengthwise and remove the seeds and the soft flesh. Brush with some olive oil. You can season it with salt and pepper or just wait until the soup is all composed to do it. Place on a sheet pan and bake until you can easily insert a fork in the thick fleshy part of the squash.
While the squash is baking, Prep your shallots, leek, garlic, thyme, and parsley
Once the squash is baked, remove from the oven and using a spoon, dig out the flesh from the halves. Set aside.
Once the squash is baked, remove from the oven and using a spoon, dig out the flesh from the halves. Set aside.
Using a dutch oven or a pot, heat the olive oil on medium high heat. Add the shallots and leeks and sweat. Add the celery and sweat until it's all limp but not quite carmelized. Add the garlic and cook for a minute or so but do not allow the garlic to color. Deglaze with wine. Allow the alcohol to burn off. I just smell the pot until I no longer smell the alcohol evaporating off.
Add the squash to the pan and mix with the onion mixture, add the chicken stock and herbs.
Bring to boil and then lower heat to a simmer. I like to taste at this point and add salt and pepper to taste. Remember that the soup will reduce slightly which will concentrate the flavors including the saltiness, so be careful not to over season. Cover and cook for 20-30 minutes
Add the cream and cook for another 10 minutes.
Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper
You can either pour the soup in a blender and blend in batches, or use an immersion blender. Just blend the soup to a consistency that you like.
Garnish:
I chose to garnish with a drizzle of cream and a fried sage leaf because sage pairs so well with butternut squash. Here are some other garnish options:
- few drops of olive oil
-toasted bread crumbs
-finely chopped fried bacon
-creme fraiche
-chopped herbs
-dollop of pesto
-chopped toasted nuts
There are lots of choices on ways to dress up the soup. Enjoy!
- few drops of olive oil
-toasted bread crumbs
-finely chopped fried bacon
-creme fraiche
-chopped herbs
-dollop of pesto
-chopped toasted nuts
There are lots of choices on ways to dress up the soup. Enjoy!