Roasted Butternut Squash Soup with Brown Butter and Sage

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Large rimmed baking sheet
• •Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot (5-quart)
• •Immersion blender or stand blender
• •Small light-colored skillet for brown butter

Instructions

1. 1

   Prepare the squash

   Heat your oven to 400°F. Cut the butternut squash in half lengthwise. This takes a sharp knife and some commitment. Scoop out the seeds and stringy fibers with a spoon. Save the seeds for roasting if you like, or compost them. Rub the cut surfaces with two tablespoons of olive oil, then season with one teaspoon of salt and the black pepper.

   A heavy, dense squash with a long neck yields the most flesh. The neck is all usable meat, no seeds.
2. 2

   Roast until caramelized

   Place the squash halves cut-side down on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Roast for 45 to 55 minutes, until a knife slides through the thickest part without resistance and the edges are deeply caramelized, almost burnished. The kitchen should smell sweet and earthy. Let cool for ten minutes, then scoop the flesh from the skin. You should have about four cups.

3. 3

   Soften the aromatics

   While the squash roasts, warm the remaining tablespoon of olive oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy pot over medium heat. Add the onion with a pinch of salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and translucent, about eight minutes. Add the garlic and cook one minute more, until fragrant but not browned.

4. 4

   Build the soup

   Add the roasted squash and stock to the pot. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for fifteen minutes, letting the flavors marry. The squash will begin to break down at the edges. Taste the liquid. It should already hint at what the soup will become.

5. 5

   Puree until silky

   Remove the pot from heat. Using an immersion blender, puree the soup directly in the pot until completely smooth, working in circles to catch every bit. If using a stand blender, work in batches and fill only halfway, venting the lid to release steam. The texture should be velvety, coating a spoon in an even layer.

   Hot liquids expand violently in a sealed blender. Always leave the lid cracked and cover with a towel.
6. 6

   Season and balance

   Return the soup to low heat if needed to keep warm. Stir in the nutmeg and remaining half teaspoon of salt. Add the vinegar or lemon juice. This brightness lifts the soup from flat to alive. Taste again and adjust. The soup should taste deeply of squash, sweet but not cloying.

7. 7

   Make brown butter and crispy sage

   Melt the butter in a small light-colored skillet over medium heat. The light pan lets you watch the color change. Swirl occasionally as the butter foams and sputters. After three to four minutes, the foam will subside and golden-brown flecks will appear at the bottom. The aroma will shift from milky to nutty, like toasting hazelnuts. Immediately add the sage leaves in a single layer. They will sputter and crisp in thirty seconds. Remove from heat the moment the sizzling quiets.

   Brown butter moves quickly from perfect to burned. Stay at the stove and trust your nose. When it smells like toasted nuts, it is ready.
8. 8

   Serve immediately

   Ladle the soup into warmed bowls. Spoon the brown butter generously over each serving, letting it pool and swirl on the surface. Top with two or three crispy sage leaves per bowl. Serve at once while the butter glistens and the sage still crackles. This soup waits for no one.

Chef Tips

• •Seek out squash at your farmers market in October and November. Ask the farmer which variety roasts sweetest. Butternut is reliable, but honeynut, red kuri, and kabocha all make beautiful soup.
• •Homemade stock transforms this soup. If you have a chicken carcass in the freezer, now is the time. Water works in a pinch, but the body and depth will be diminished.
• •The brown butter can be made hours ahead and gently rewarmed. The crispy sage leaves, however, must be fried just before serving or they turn leathery.
• •A drizzle of good olive oil or a swirl of crème fraîche can replace the brown butter for a lighter finish, though you will miss that toasted nuttiness.

Advance Preparation

• •The squash can be roasted up to three days ahead and refrigerated. The caramelization deepens as it sits.
• •The soup base (before brown butter) keeps refrigerated for five days or frozen for three months. It thickens as it cools; thin with stock when reheating.
• •Make the brown butter and fry the sage only when ready to serve. This is the moment that cannot be stored.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 380g)