Make soup with any roasted winter squash. Easy and delicious.
Take any roasted winter squash and turn it into a delicious squash soup. It’s delicious, nourishing and easy to prepare. A variety of roasted squash creates a balanced flavor of sweet and savory. Flavors of sage and rosemary compliment the dish. The entire soup is blended, making for a luxurious, smooth texture.
What squash is best for soup?
The recipe calls for 4 cups of roasted, pureed winter squash. The options are really endless. The important thing to remember is to use a variety for a complex, well rounded flavor profile. If you don’t grow your own, look for winter squash at the farmers market or in stores in the fall. Squash plants are typically very prolific, making them reasonably priced, when in season. Most varieties keep for at least 2 months. Some, like butternut squash, can last well over 6 months.
Here is a list of my favorite squash varieties for soup:
Honeynut Squash. Honeynut squash is a small, wonderfully sweet mini butternut squash. I’ve made soup with just this variety and it’s delicious.
Blue Hubbard. Starchy and sweet. They come in mini varieties.
Butternut squash. A bit more earthy, like a cross of sweet potato and rutabaga.
Delicata squash. The sweetest variety squash I’ve ever tasted. When roasted until caramelized it is like candy. On the smaller side, so I like to mix with larger squash.
There are plenty more varieties I’ve experimented with and loved: Koginut, Red Kuri, Buttercup squash.
How to roast winter squash for maximum flavor.
No matter the winter squash, the roasting protocol is nearly identical. Cook times can vary based on the size.
Remove seeds and stringy pulp. Seeds are a bonus! Save, rinse, dry, season and roast.
Cut into sections. Depending on size, this could be halves, quarters, or rough chunks. The main idea is to have the pieces similar in size for even cooking.
Roast at 425F skin side up until caramelized. I don’t bother with oil; I don’t think the squash needs it. Roasting can take anywhere between 30-60 minutes.
Let cool. Once cooled, scoop the flesh from the skins. It should be fairly smooth. If I’m not using it right away, I store it in the freezer.
Can soup be a main dish?
Is soup a full meal? That is one of the great debates of my household. I lean towards yes, it can be. Bottom line, a main dish soup has to be satiating. Here is why this squash soup is main dish worthy:
Roasted squash. I just can’t stop talking about roasted squash. It’s hearty, carby. Roasting concentrates the sugars, making for delicious flavor.
Herbs. This recipe begins with frying sage and rosemary in butter. Not only are the herbs infusing into the butter, but the herbs will have a smokey, deep flavor. Once dried, they get crushed and added back to the pot. Easy techniques, such as this, make a big difference.
Heavy cream. I’m unapologetically including heavy cream in this squash soup. I tried it with half and half, it didn’t work out. The beauty of heavy cream is that it whips up when blended with the soup. It gives the soup a luxurious texture and a rich flavor. TIP: Do not use ultra pasteurized. It doesn’t whip up as well.
It’s indulgent, to some, perhaps.
Is it also nourishing? Most definitely. Barbara Kingsolver puts it very well in her memoir, Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, “Planning complex, beautiful meals and investing one’s heart and time in their preparation is the opposite of self-indulgence. Kitchen-based family gatherings are process-oriented, cooperative, and in the best of worlds, nourishing and soulful.”
Roasted Squash Soup
Equipment
- 1 Dutch oven
Ingredients
- ½ stick butter 4tbsp
- 2 tbsp Olive oil
- 1 sprig rosemary
- 6 leaves sage + 2 for topping optional
- 1 sweet onion diced
- 2 garlic cloves smashed
- 1 tsp salt Redmonds Real Salt
- ½ tsp red chili flakes
- ¼ tsp course ground pepper
- 4 cups roasted squash puree mix of honeynut, hubbard, butternut, delicata, etc.
- 1 tsp oregano
- ½ tsp thyme
- 2 cups chicken broth warmed
- 1 ¼ cup heavy cream
Instructions
- Over medium heat, add butter and oil to a Dutch oven.
- When hot, but not smoking, add sage and rosemary. Fry until crispy. Careful not to burn. If burned, start over.
- Set sage and rosemary aside to cool.
- Add onion. Cook 5-7 minutes until softened.
- Add garlic cloves, salt, and red pepper red chili flakes.
- Cook until fragrant.
- Crunch the fried sage and rosemary. Discard stems. Add to pot.
- Add squash puree, oregano, thyme, broth and cream. Bring to a simmer.
- Simmer for around 15-20 minutes, stirring once in awhile. If splattering is a problem, cover with a lid but set to lowest temperature.
- Blend. Use a blender for an ultra-smooth texture. (I wait for the soup to cool before blending, but you may have a better blender than me).
- Fry the last two sage leaves in oil if you want to add a chef’s touch.
- Return soup to pot and let cook on low for another 15 minutes or so to help flavors mingle. Serve with sourdough bread for dipping. Top with fried sage leaves, if using.
