Butternut Squash Soup

[MichaelB]

A seared scallop, creme fraiche and a drizzle of apple cider reduced to a syrup.

[tippingvelvet]

I was assigned soup for Thanksgiving. Does anyone have a "great" recipe or a better suggestion, I'm open. Needs to serve 10-12.

[Chris Amirault]

Super easy, tipping velvet. Just cook 3-4 butternut squashes, cubed, in chicken stock, then add the cooked (and blended) squash to a pot with some sauteed onions, maybe a little garlic or ginger. Add salt and (white?) pepper and whatever additional flavoring your guests would like: I made a great curried squash soup a few weeks ago, but you could just add some nutmeg and cinnamon, or perhaps some Chinese 5 spice powder, or some sage and olive oil, or even some chipotle powder and cumin. Toss on some croutons, cheese, even toasted tortillas, depending on the spice combinations you've selected.

Squash is remarkably adaptable. It's hard to screw up squash soup, let me tell you!

[Pam R]

Chris's recipe sounds good to me - I often cook butternut soup with some apples or pears. In fact, I'd just add some to Chris's soup and it'll add a nice tart/sweet note.

[Chris Amirault]

A most excellent idea! It's always good to tart things up, I think....

[jsolomon]

I usually start by roasting off the squash a day or so in advance. Steaming works, too.

For each squash, I cube four slices of bacon, 1 onion, 2 carrots, and 2 celery stalks. Saute all in the soup-making pot, making sure to get some good deep color on them. Deglaze the pan with 2 cups chicken stock for each squash. Add the squash. Simmer for 15 minutes. Add 1/8 tsp nutmet and 1/4 tsp chili powder per squash. Puree. Finish with 1/4 cup cream per squash. Top with chopped chive or parsley.

[Jmahl]

Try adding some heavy cream as a garnish or i've seen whipped cream fig quinelles floated to finish. Perfect seasonal food.

[rooftop1000]

I usually add apple cider instead of apples...and be prepared to use some salt the squash is very sweet and you need balance, a little hot sauce never hurts either, a little sparkle like a high note.

tracey

love this stuff

[little ms foodie]

I've made this Butternut Squash Soup a number of times and it is delish.

Edited November 2, 2005 by little ms foodie (log)

[jefferyc]

Add Dry sherry, It will make a huge difference

[ludja]

For a simply flavored butternut squash soup, drizzled Austrian pumpkin seed oil make a beautiful and delcious garnish alongside some croutons. The oil is dark green and contrasts nicely with the soup and the oil has a very deep, distinctive flavor.

Edited November 2, 2005 by ludja (log)

[JayBassin]

My standard squash soup (butternut or pumpkin) is:

1 butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and diced (2-3 C)

1 C diced onion (1 medium)

1 C diced carrot (2 carrots)

1 medium sweet potato, diced

1 rutabaga, peeled and diced

1 apple, peeled and diced

1.5 quarts chicken or veg stock

salt+pepper

grated nutmeg or mace (about 1/2 tsp)

(1/2 C heavy cream -- optional)

Bring everything except the creamn to a simmer and cook about 45 minutes until everything is soft. Buzz with an immersion blender until smooth. Add the cream if used and heat. Adjust seasonings.

[Charlie O]

Chris's recipe sounds good to me - I often cook butternut soup with some apples or pears.  In fact, I'd just add some to Chris's soup and it'll add a nice tart/sweet note.

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I also often add pears to my butternut squash soup. A good simple recipe is using curry powder and a cinamon stick as flavouring. An unseasonal garnish that works well is finely diced red peppers.

[takomabaker]

I've been using a recipe from Cook's Illustrated for years. Basically, you sweat the innards (seeds and stringy stuff) and some onions or shallots in butter, then add water to this mixture and use it to steam the the squash flesh. Then you strain the "stock" that was the steaming liquid and combine it with the steamed squash flesh in a blender until it is your desired soup consistency. Obviously, there were some spices and I think some heavy cream also in the recipe, but I don't remember the specifics. It's the technique that makes this really good (and it IS really good).

I've been considering a first course this year by spooning this soup around a savory flan and maybe garnishing it with some fried sage leaves. Or the tempura sage leaves in this month's Food and Wine. I'm still mulling it all over....

[ludja]

...

I've been considering a first course this year by spooning this soup around a savory flan and maybe garnishing it with some fried sage leaves. Or the tempura sage leaves in this month's Food and Wine. I'm still mulling it all over....

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Nice idea! I typically always serve a soup beforehand but this is an interesting twist. Still not too heavy if the portions are not to large and lots of flavoring options. Roasted garlic flan, anyone?

[takadi]

I've run into so many pretentious and complicated recipes calling for apples, curry, jalapenos, etc. And each and every time I've attempted to make butternut squash soup, it ends up with the consistency of baby food...not even close to the silky smooth texture of soups I've tried in restaurants, not to mention that most of the recipes I've tried weren't very savory or had a completely different spice profile than the soups I've tried in restaurants.

Does anyone just have a simple fool proof recipe for a beginner like me?

[emilyr]

I'd start with the most basic recipe you can find and then increase the broth or add it if it's not called for. That would add the savory element as well as making it smoother and thinner. Also, I've never made butternut squash soup, but I've made a beet soup that calls for a potato, and I think that really helps make it silky. It was pretty easy: sautee onions and garlic (just a little) til soft, add beets and potatoes and stock, and simmer til it's all soft. I think there may have been some fresh thyme thrown in during the simmer, too. Then just a quick buzz with the immersion blender or in the Cuisinart.

[isomer]

I've run into so many pretentious and complicated recipes calling for apples, curry, jalapenos, etc. And each and every time I've attempted to make butternut squash soup, it ends up with the consistency of baby food...not even close to the silky smooth texture of soups I've tried in restaurants, not to mention that most of the recipes I've tried weren't very savory or had a completely different spice profile than the soups I've tried in restaurants.

Does anyone just have a simple fool proof recipe for a beginner like me?

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This very basic recipe is adapted from Simple To Spectacular by J.G. Vongerichten and Mark Bittman:

Start with a 2lb squash and about 4 cups of chicken stock. Peel and seed the squash and cut it into cubes. Simmer until the squash is very tender, then put the cubes into a blender with enough stock that the machine can run, and puree the heck out them. Mix back into the rest of the stock and season to taste with salt and lots of black pepper.

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My best guess is that your texture issues come from not blending the squash enough. As for the flavour profile.... can you be more specific about what you're looking for?

Fwiw, when I make it, I start by roasting the squash cubes with some garlic and olive oil, and I put about a thumb-sized piece of ginger in the soup, cut into a few large pieces while it simmers. I take the ginger out before pureeing.

Hope this helps....

[Jon Savage]

1/2 or 1/4 the squash (unpeeled).

Remove the seeds etc.

Brush cut side(s) with EVOO, (sea) salt lightly and put on a sheet pan in a 350ish oven.

Throw a few cloves garlic in there as well to roast.

In the meantime sweat some chopped onions in your fat of choice.

When the squash is done scoop out the tasty stuff into the pot with the onions.

Smash the roasted garlic and throw that in as well.

Add some nice chicken stock, bring to a simmer. Employ your stick blender, food processor, food mill or tamis to good effect. Salt and pepper to taste, perhaps a dash of (smoked) Cayenne.

Strain if you desire. Finish with a bit of creme fraiche, sour cream, heavy cream and/or a bit of vinegar.

Works for me.

YMMV

--edit even better if you make a mess of lardons, reserve same using the rendered fat for sweating the onions and the crispy bacony lardon goodness as a garnish on top of each bowl of soup.

Edited December 25, 2008 by 6ppc (log)

[KatieLoeb]

Get thee to the restaurant supply store and buy yourself a fine mesh chinoise to strain your soups and sauces through. You'll never enjoy anything less than silky textured results for the rest of eternity...

[HKDave]

My method is very similar to 6ppc's. I 1/2 the squash, and before roasting, I stuff a whole head of garlic, top sliced off, in the cavity where the seeds were (I may not use all the garlic in the soup), and I lay several sprigs of thyme on the face-down cut surface. Other than that, we're pretty much the same. I finish with cream and adjust with lemon juice rather than vinegar.

Re baby food consistency, as everyone has said, that's either because it's not blended enough and/or not run through a fine strainer, or else - most likely - it just needs more stock. This is a fairly common beginner's blended soup mistake. You probably need more liquid than you think, and you may need to add a little more if you later re-heat it because these soups seem to thicken up in the fridge. Your soup should be... soupy, not gloopy.

[takadi]

Thanks you guys! I knew I could count on this board for Christmas emergencies

[Jon Savage]

Thanks you guys! I knew I could count on this board for Christmas emergencies

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Do let us know how it comes out!

[DouglasBaldwin]

I happened to make butternut squash soup last night.

1-2 Butternut squash, peeled and cut Into 1/2" planks

2-3 Onions

3-6 Tablespoons butter

Brown sugar to taste

Sea salt to taste

Lemon juice to taste

Peel the squash, cut into planks and reserve the seeds. Steam the loosely stacked slices of squash for 20--25 minutes until tender and offers no resistance to a paring knife.

Meanwhile, dice the onion and caramelize in butter over medium heat. Add a pinch of baking soda to speed browning.

Place caramelized onion and steamed squash in blender and add water to half the height of squash. Blend in batches until smooth. Transfer to a large pot.

Season soup with salt, brown sugar and lemon juice to taste. Enjoy!

[BarbaraY]

My method is to roast the squash, split, as mentioned above. Meanwhile sweat a couple of leeks in butter. When the squash is done peel and add to the leeks with about 3 cups chicken stock and some sprigs of fresh thyme. Let it all simmer for about 1/2 hour. Remove thyme sprigs and and blend with a stick blender or regular blender. Be careful if using a counter top blender as it has to be covered with a towel to keep the hot soup from going all over you and the kitchen.

Garnish with crumbled crisp bacon, a drizzle of sour cream, and a sprinkle of minced chives.

One of my favorite soups.

Edited December 25, 2008 by BarbaraY (log)