Taking advantage of the fall vegetables
The color is in the trees and that familiar chill is reminding us the end of summer has arrived and snowfall is around the corner. With that in mind, I start to get the yearning for a nice big pot of homemade soup.
I do enjoy experimenting with recipes and trying new things. Luckily, my wife (The Divine Miss M) talked me into getting over my irrational fear and loathing of squash. Some of it was out of necessity, as we were at a fancy restaurant having Thanksgiving dinner. Yeah, it’s a long story – some other time perhaps. Anyways, it’s Thanksgiving, and I’m naturally ready to gorge myself on football and food. One of the courses included a squash soup – and thankfully I tried it.
Once we got home, I decided to attempt to replicate the recipe, and through trial and error I came up with the following. I’ve tried it with both butternut and acorn squash, and found that butternut is richer and more savory, while acorn makes a sweeter soup. I’ve paired them with stout breads (but asiago cheese bread was a little off-putting in my opinion) and I think a Pinot Grigiot goes well with it.
As with any recipe, change things up, add a little or subtract a little – make it your own and enjoy it to its fullest. It doubles nicely if you have a decent sized pot and I’ll bet it would slowcook very well too.
2 large butternut squash, seeded and chunked into 2″ cubes
Olive oil, for brushing
Kosher salt for seasoning
Freshly ground white pepper
1 Qt chicken or vegetable stock
4 Tbsp honey
1 Tsp minced ginger
1 Pt heavy cream
5 or 6 medium potatoes, peeled and diced
2 Tbsp unsalted butter
Half a sweet onion, finely minced
2 or 3 cloves of garlic minced
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, maybe a bit more to taste
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Brush the flesh of the squash with a little olive oil and season with salt. On a sheet pan lay the squash flesh side up. Roast for at least an hour until the flesh is nice and soft.
In a stock pot, add 2 tbsp butter, the onions and garlic finely chopped and sweat until tender. Add the stock and bring to a boil. Add the potatoes, peeled and cubed and boil until tender.
Once the squash is roasted, scoop the flesh from the skin into the pot and add honey, ginger, white pepper, and nutmeg. Bring to a simmer and puree using a stick blender. Stir in the heavy cream and return to a low simmer. Season with additional salt, pepper, and nutmeg to taste. Serve anywhere from warm to hot. (I wasn’t too fond of it cold, might just be me though.)
Mangiare!
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