Butternut Squash Soup

[Kerry Beal]

I use the method from Cooks Illustrated Nov/Dec 2001.

You cut your unpeeled butternut into 6 or 8 pieces. Keep the seeds and the membrane around them. Saute some shallots in butter, add the seeds and membranes (this is where the glorious colour comes from) and saute until nice and saffron coloured. Add six cups of water, put your steamer basket over this and add the squash. Steam until the squash is tender. Cool. Strain liquid, puree the squash with the strained steaming liquid, add 1/2 cup of half and half and a tsp of brown sugar.

Pure squash flavour - a really nice version of butternut soup.

[JAZ]

I agree that the key to a silky soup is to put it through a sieve after pureeing -- a chinois is nice, but a medium to fine sieve works as well.

[takadi]

Definitely found out that simplicity is key. What I did is that I prepared the "liquid" beforehand with all the celery carrots and onions with water and chicken stock. After that, I strained the broth of all the used vegetables and dumped in the squash and pureed it. The texture definitely came out better. I would like it to be a little smoother so I might invest in a better blender or perhaps strain it next time

[Kerry Beal]

Definitely found out that simplicity is key. What I did is that I prepared the "liquid" beforehand with all the celery carrots and onions with water and chicken stock. After that, I strained the broth of all the used vegetables and dumped in the squash and pureed it.  The texture definitely came out better. I would like it to be a little smoother so I might invest in a better blender or perhaps strain it next time

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I usually puree with the immersion blender, then put through the fine disc in the food mill to get smooth squash soup.

[BigDan]

I did the Butternut Squash soup from the Bouchon cookbook last week and it was fantastic. Obviously I can't give away the recipe but I can say that it used an immersion blender and a sieve. Also, and here is the trick, it recommended letting it set over night to become sweeter. I did so and it definitely became better after resting.

[takadi]

"Obviously I can't give away the recipe"

Please?

[BekkiM]

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....

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This is my absolute "go to" recipe for butternut squash soup. I don't have the recipe in front of me, so I can't remember if it actually calls for crushed red pepper flakes and thyme to be roasted with the squash--or if I added those myself in a happy accident--but I find that the little bit of heat from the red pepper really gives the caramelized sweetness of the roasted squash an edge that makes it a little bit more savory.

[qrn]

peel squash. cut in half and scrape out seeds ,etc. cube it up into inch or so cubes.

put on a sheet pan on parchment, and spray with some olive oil (just a bit) roast in the oven til a bit of color. (not a lot) dice an onion and saute in butter tilljust colored. Put roasted squash and onions in small pot and add water to cover.. simmer till squash gets soft.

put in blender and blend till smooth. back to pot and heat. add water to adjust thickness if needed, add chicken stock base (minors etc) till salt level is good. cook a bit more .add a some cream, till it tastes good ,,,, add bit of white fresh ground pepper. serve..

Bud