This is a warm, filling soup that pairs nicely with garlic or cheese bread, or grilled cheese.
Mechanic
Roasting the squash and vegetables first concentrates their sugars and develops colour before anything goes in the pot. Straining the blended soup through a fine-mesh sieve at the end gives a silky texture you can’t get any other way. Loosen with stock until it pours easily. It’s not a pie filling.
Soup
- 1 medium butternut squash, halved and seeds removed
- 1 onion, roughly diced
- 240 ml (1 cup) carrots or yam, diced
- 6 cloves garlic, smashed and peeled
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1.5 L (6 cups) vegetable stock, plus more as needed
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 2 teaspoons salt, or to taste
Heat the oven to 200°C (400°F). Toss the squash, onion, carrots, and garlic with olive oil and a generous pinch of salt. Roast on a baking sheet about 1 hour, until soft and browned.
Transfer to a large pot and add stock. Simmer on low 30–60 minutes. Blend smooth with an immersion blender. Stir in the sage brown butter, maple syrup, and vinegar. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve and discard solids. Add stock to reach a pourable consistency. Taste and adjust salt, acid, and sweetness.
Sage brown butter
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 6–8 large sage leaves
Melt the butter in a small pan over medium heat. Cook until it stops foaming and smells nutty. Remove from heat and add the sage leaves. Let infuse while the soup simmers.
To serve
With a spoon of crème fraîche or yogurt and something green. Good with fresh bread or grilled cheese alongside.
Notes
- Keeps refrigerated 5 days. Freezes well.
- Thyme or rosemary can replace the sage.
- Vegan with neutral oil instead of butter; skip the crème fraîche or yogurt when serving.