Butternut Squash Soup: A Journey

For a while now I have been working on my butternut squash soup recipe. I am a sucker for a nice bowl of butternut squash soup and have tasted a fair number of them; curried, sesame, coconut…But there is one bowl in particular that I am particularly fond of. It’s the version served seasonally at Supper, one of my favorite neighborhood restaurants. The flavor is delicate, spices melting into the creaminess of the squash; showing off their attention to the little things, they add a schmear of cinnamon marshmallow on the lip of the bowl which is the perfect extra note. I have been trying to replicate this recipe for the last year and a half – trying cream and nutmeg, rosemary, yogurt, vermouth but never managed to get it right. Finally, last weekend I decided to strip it down, undo some of the over thinking I had done about the spices and go with the essential flavor of the squash. I added some sweet potatoes for body and a little sweetness and a touch of sage and, huzzah! The glorious soup that resulted was as close to Supper’s version as I think I’m going to get. Even if it isn’t the exact same it is still damn good. 

Ingredients:

  • 2 medium butternut squash, cut in half
  • 2 Tbs olive oil
  • 2 large sweet potatoes
  • 1 large onion, papery skin removed and diced
  • 2 Tbs butter
  • 1 Tbs rubbed sage
  • 2″ piece of ginger, tough skin removed
  • 4 Cups chicken stock
Preheat oven to 450˚
Directions:
  1. Cover a rimmed baking sheet with tin foil. Using a paring knife score the flesh side of the squash, brush each with the olive oil and place flesh side down on the baking sheet. Put in the oven.
  2. Poke the sweet potatoes with a fork then wrap in tin foil and place in the oven. 
  3. Let the squash and sweet potatoes bake for 40-60 minutes. They will each be soft to the touch when ready. 
  4. When they’re done peel away the skin from the sweet potatoes and put in a bowl. Scoop the flesh out of the squash and add to the bowl, sprinkle with salt and pepper and mash together.
  5. When the sweet potatoes and squash are done melt the butter in a stock pot. When it has melted and is frothing add the onion and saute until transparent.
  6. When the onions have slightly caramelized add the sweet potato and squash mash as well as the ginger, sage and chicken stock. Cover and bring to a slight boil then reduce to a simmer and let cook for 35-40 minutes. Then using an immersion blender (or if using a blender then work in batches) puree the soup until it is smooth. 
And if you want a pretty fantastic dessert to finish off the meal try these Maple Rum Dumplings I made for work this week.

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