Butternut Squash Soup
This recipe is adapted from one by Giada De Laurentiis. I’ve added some of my own flavors and techniques throughout the years and now find that it’s one of the first recipes I make as the weather turns cool and warmer flavors are coaxed to my table. Simply delicious.
A simple and simply delicious light soup to welcome in the warm, savory flavors of fall.
- 2 tbsp. unsalted butter
- 2 tbsp. olive oil
- 1 large yellow onion, chopped
- 2 medium carrots, peeled and chopped
- 6 large or 9 small garlic cloves halved
- 10-11 c. peeled and chopped pieces of butternut squash (about 5 lbs. whole)
- 1 c. dry white wine (something you would also drink)
- 5-6 c. low-sodium chicken stock or vegetable broth (avoid mushroom-based vegetable stocks)
- 1/3 c. coarsely chopped fresh sage
- 4-5 tsp. kosher salt, divided
- 1 tsp. fresh ground black pepper
- 2 tsp. olive oil
- 1/4 c. unsalted pepitas (shelled pumpkin seeds)
- 1/4 tsp. kosher salt
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Warm butter and olive oil over medium heat in a large stock pot or Dutch oven. Add chopped onion and carrots and cook briefly until slightly softened (about 5 minutes). Add the garlic, butternut squash, wine, and 5 cups chicken stock or vegetable broth (reserve remaining) and bring to a gentle boil. Once boiling, immediately reduce heat to low and add the chopped sage, 4 teaspoons salt (reserve remaining), and freshly ground black pepper. Then, partially cover the pot and let the ingredients simmer for 20-30 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Stir occassionally. When done, pull the pot from the heat and let cool slightly (about 10 minutes).
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In batches, put the cooked soup ingredients in a blender and purée until smooth throughout. Transfer the blended soup to a large saucepan and keep warm until ready to serve. Add up to 1 cup additional chicken stock or vegetable broth if desired (do not add if you prefer a thicker soup) and up to 1 teaspoon additional salt to taste. See TIP A for make-ahead and freeze instructions.
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Warm the 2 teaspoons olive oil in a small skillet and add the pepitas. Briefly stir to coat the pepitas in oil. Let the pepitas sizzle until lightly toasted (about 2-3 minutes), stir occasionally. When done, use a slotted spoon to transfer the toasted pepitas to a small plate lined with paper towel. Sprinkle with the 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt and serve the toasted, salted pepitas on the side or over top of each portion of soup.
TIP A: This soup is a great one to freeze because it retains its color and flavor beautifully if kept in air-tight containers. To re-heat, let the soup sit at room temperature for 1-2 hours or in the fridge overnight. Then warm it over medium-low heat on the stove. I recommend keeping it in the freezer for no longer than 3-4 weeks (that's sort-of my rule-of-thumb for any frozen leftovers).