Ingredients
Serves 8 / or less, with leftovers
Ingredients
1 whole large butternut squash
40g / 3 tbsp butter (or olive oil)
1 onion, peeled and chopped
2 cs / 2 tbsp of apple cider vinegar
2-4 potatoes (this will depend on the size of your butternut)
20cl / ¾ cup of creme fraiche, liquid cream or yogurt
Squeeze of fresh lemon (if some acidity is needed)
Salt to taste
Preparation
Preheat the oven to 180c / 350f
1- Put your butternut directly on a baking pan or use parchment paper for easier clean up.
Bake for 1 to 1.5 hrs depending on the size of your butternut. You’ll know it’s done when it’s browning, sometimes oozing juices and when your knife can easily go into it.
2- When your butternut has been in the oven for 30-45 mins, start your soup by warming your soup pot on medium heat and add your butter and onions. Allow them to cook until translucent, 10-15mins.
3- Once your onions are ready, add the apple cider vinegar to deglaze them, this will enhance the flavor of your soup. Add a couple generous pinches of salt, let cook for a few more minutes.
4- Add in your cut up potatoes and some water to cover them. Cover your pot with the lid and bring to a boil, turn your heat down to low and allow to simmer for 15-20 mins, until your potatoes are almost cooked through.
5- Check on your roasting butternut squash. Once it’s out of the oven, use a big knife and mindfully cut down the center of the squash to open it up and allow the heat to escape for a bit. Scoop out the seeds with a spoon and then continue to scoop out the flesh and add it directly into your soup pot. You can also peel off the skin which should come off easily and add the butternut in that way. Cook in the pot with the other ingredients for about 5 minutes.
6- Add your chunky soup to the blender leaving 2-3 inches of space for your soup to expand and release heat. Blend mindfully releasing some of the heat as you go through the little circle top. You may use an immersion blender as well for this step. I find that the traditional blender renders a silkier soup even though it’s a bit more work.
7- Add your dairy of choice (or none at all) and taste. Adjust your salt or perhaps some fresh lemon if you find it needs some acidity. Enjoy!
Step 1
Gather all ingredients. Butternut, onion, butter or olive oil, apple cider vinegar, potatoes and creme fraiche, yogurt or dairy of choice (or none at all.)
I pop my squash in the oven whole, just as it is, with nothing on it and no holes in it. This way it steams itself inside and cooks really well. This is my go-to way to cook most of my squashes.
The size of your onions doesn't matter too much here. A small, medium or large dice will get them browning nicely.
When your pan is starting to brown like so, add in your vinegar to deglaze your pan.
Peel and cut up your potatoes. The actual size of the cut doesn't matter much as long as they are close in size for even cooking.
Add in your potatoes into the pot and cover them with water.
You can cover your pot with a lid in order to quicken your cook time but this is not necessary.
Clues that your squash is done are a browned skin, some juices oozing and if your knife goes into the squash easily.
Cut down the center of the squash to release the steam. Be mindful as steam is very hot and can surprise you!
Notice that the skin is naturally coming away from the flesh. This makes it super easy to scoop out or peel the skin.
Start by scraping out the seeds and their little strings. You can wash your seeds and roast them. I personally don't do this (yet)!
Here you can see how easy and clean it is for the skin to slip off the meat.
Another example at how easily skin can come off after roasting (this is from another shoot).
Put your squash directly in your soup pot.
Add more water cover your veggies. There is no need to cook this long unless your butternut came out a little under cooked (which happens sometimes).
If you are using an immersion blender, this is it's time to shine.
If using a blender, add your chunky soup and blend until smooth.
I prefer a blender to an immersion as I find it blends very smooth.
You'll most likely have to blend in several batches, so use a bowl to store your blended soup until your soup pot is free again.
Add in your dairy once your soup is back in the pot. Make sure to taste and adjust with salt, more dairy and perhaps some fresh lemon juice for acidity. She's ready to go! Enjoy!
Story
We keep our squash on the balcony. It’s cold out. They keep much longer in the cold and don’t take up any space in the fridge. Plus, they look so cute! We usually get our collection from a farm outside of Paris. We bring back as many as we can carry because they are affordable and simply perfect.
I usually make this butternut soup for guests because it is such a simple soup and tastes very luxurious. Orange may be one of my favorite colors to see on the table, it’s just so vibrant and makes me happy. I make a big pot in hopes for leftovers.
I like to add some potato to take down the sweetness of the butternut. The potato also adds a creaminess that I welcome. If you like sweet soups you can omit the potatoes all together or you could add in a sweet potato. I like to use creme fraiche for the slight acidity it brings but feel free to use whichever dairy you prefer or none at all.
I am making an effort to serve dishes in their simplest form, meaning very little or no decor at all. It ain’t easy being a girl that used to care only about making “pretty dishes” but I am loving the challenge of holding back and allowing the food to speak for itself.
This dish is perfect practice for it. You could and I encourage you to, if you want, to add some fried sage leaves, toasted pumpkin seeds or a drizzle of cream. Do what makes you happy about your dish.
*a note on peeling squash of any kind. I dislike this and try to avoid it. I learned the trick in this recipe a few years back and use it almost each time I cook with butternut to save time and energy.
Pop the whole squash in the oven and roast it until it has steamed itself cooked. This process is a little long but hands off and makes it so much easier to manage. See below for details. Enjoy!
