Fall Squash

 

Fall is my favorite time of year.  When the nights become windy and cool, the maple trees begin to turn red and the wool sweaters are dug out of the closet.  Nothing says fall to me like a warm, hearty bowl of butternut squash soup.  Roasted squash, pureed with herbs and sauteed onion. This soup makes the perfect dinner on a crisp, cool evening.  Like apple picking, pumpkins and falling leaves, butternut squash soup is a sure sign that fall has arrived.

Butternut Squash Soup
Serves 6-8

2 large butternut squash, peeled and chopped into one-inch cubes
2 carrots, peeled and chopped into one-inch cubes
olive oil
1 Tbsp butter
1 large yellow onion, roughly chopped
4 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
1 Tbsp fresh thyme, finely chopped
1 Tbsp fresh sage, finely chopped
6-8 cups chicken stock
1/4 cup heavy cream
kosher salt
freshly cracked black pepper

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Divide squash and carrot chunks between two sheet pans.  Pour a few tablespoons of olive oil over the squash on each pan and then sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper.  With your hands, toss squash and carrots to evenly coat with oil and seasoning. Roast for 45 minutes or until lightly browned.

Meanwhile, heat butter and one tablespoon olive oil in a large dutch oven or soup pot set over medium-low heat.  Add the chopped onion and garlic to the pot, stirring occasionally until slightly browned, approximately 20 minutes.  Add the chopped fresh herbs to the pot and continue to cook for 5 minutes.  Remove pot from heat.

Pour chicken stock into a large saucepan and heat over medium-high heat until simmering.

When the squash has finished roasting, add it to the pot with the onions and return to medium heat. Add approximately 4 cups of the simmering chicken stock to the squash and onions.  Using an immersion blender, puree the squash, adding more chicken stock gradually until the soup is to your desired thickness.  Stir in 1/4 cup heavy cream.  Taste soup and season with more salt and pepper if needed.

Serve warm garnished with fried sage leaves, a drizzle of heavy cream or some Parmigiano Reggiano cheese.

Note:  If you don't have an immersion blender, you can puree this soup in a blender or food processor (in small batches).

Simply peel your squash and chop.   A spoon makes easy work of removing the seeds.

Roasted squash and carrots.  Sweet and earthy.

Garlic, thyme and sage give this dish a savory warmth.

Allowing the onions to turn golden-brown deepens their flavor.

Puree until smooth and silky.

Soups on.