Butternut Squash Soup

The weather is cool and the days are short. It’s the season for warm sweaters, bright autumn colors, and delicious comfort food. Fall brings a bounty of fresh ingredients, perfect for all kinds of autumn dishes. One of the first that comes to mind? Soup!

Cozy up with one of our favorite seasonal delights: Butternut Squash Soup. A wonderful thing about this recipe is it’s versatility: experiment with different squash varieties, or try out different garnishing options. Make this dish your own, and serve for years to come!

Ingredients:

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter

1 small yellow onion, chopped

3 celery stalks, chopped

1 medium carrot, chopped

1 large leek, white part only, cleaned and chopped

2 shallots, chopped

4 garlic cloves, crushed

2 1⁄2 pounds Butternut squash, peeled, seeded, chopped

Salt and white pepper to taste

1⁄2 cup heavy cream

1 bunch fresh sage leaves, picked, for garnish

Melt 4 tablespoons of the butter in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the onion, celery, carrot, leek, shallots, and garlic and sauté until the vegetables are soft, about 7 minutes. Stir the vegetables occasionally to prevent browning. Add the squash to the vegetables and stir. Add 2 quarts of water and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook until the squash is just tender, 15 to 20 minutes.

Add the heavy cream and the remaining 4 tablespoons of butter. Remove the vegetables from the heat and purée immediately in a blender or food processor. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve and adjust seasoning if necessary. Heat a small amount of blended oil to 300°F and fry the sage leaves until crispy. Transfer the sage leaves to paper towels to drain and cool. Ladle the soup into 6 bowls and garnish each with a drizzle of reduced balsamic vinegar or saba and a few fried sage leaves.

Enjoy!

This recipe is an excerpt from Plats du Jour. For more wonderful recipes from the girl & the fig, purchase a cookbook here.