Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

Butternut squash is on my Top 5 Foods I Procrastinate About list. I buy squash when I'm feeling particularly ambitious and in love with all things fall. Crisp mornings, apples spilling out of every market stand, shoppers exchanging holiday recipe tips. But once I get home, the high wears off and my fall haul ends up sitting in the kitchen for days (months?), glaring at me as I reach for the fruit and veggies that aren't a workout to chop. I had three beautiful but unloved squash from Weiser Farms on the counter so I kicked into Thanksgiving gear and decided to make some soup.

Useless Facts

• In Australia and New Zealand butternut squash is known as butternut pumpkin.
• Butternut squash is a cross between gooseneck squash (pictured below) and other varieties. Surprisingly, it was first developed in Massachusetts around 1940 by a local farmer named Charles Leggett. Naturally there's some controversy behind this history, and who doesn't like fruit drama? Apparently Charles showed his new variety of squash to the Waltham Experiment Station to get advice, then somehow the credit for the development of butternut squash ultimately went to Waltham. Hmmm. Charles' widow explains the story in this article if you want to read more. I'm on team small local farmer in terms of who gets the credit. #TSLF
• Butternut squash is really good for you ... super duper good for you. High in fiber, carotenoids (antioxidents), vitamin A, vitamin C, and more. Eat your vitamins.

Recipe

This is a relatively simple recipe so it's great to use as a base if you're feeling creative and want to change things up with sausage, chiles, etc. I've included a few variation suggestions at the bottom.

I recommend making this soup a day ahead as the refrigeration helps with flavor development.

Tools

• Dutch Oven or similar pot
• Garlic Press
• Immersion Blender or Food Processor
• Swivel Peeler
• BPA-free Storage Containers
• Baking Sheet
• Aluminum Foil
• Parchment Paper

A Gaggle of Gooseneck Squash at the Santa Monica Farmers Market

Roasting

• 1 medium-ish butternut squash, 2 pounds cubed (after prep) Note: I use my swivel peeler to "shave" the squash, then I cut it in half and cube away.
• 7 ounces fresh tomatoes, sliced Note: This will roast down to about 1/4 of a cup. Also, I initially tried roasting canned tomatoes because I didn't have anything fresh. Mmm, no. That doesn't work.
• Quality olive oil
• Kosher or flake-style salt

Simmering

• 1 onion finely chopped
• 4 cups Homemade Roasted Vegetable Stock
• 1 garlic clove, pressed or minced (1/2 teaspoon)
• 1 tsp minced fresh thyme
• 1/2 tsp minced fresh sage
• 2 inch Parmesan rind Note: Omit this for vegan dishes.

Instructions

Roasting

• Move an oven rack to the middle position and heat to 375
• Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and then lay a piece of parchment paper on top of that. Note: The parchment paper is important. Roasted tomatoes are delicate and even with olive oil they tend to stick
• Transfer your butternut squash and tomatoes to the baking sheet and arrange in a single layer
• Drizzle some extra virgin olive oil over the fruit and spread that around, then sprinkle with salt and pepper
• Roast for 1 to 1 1/2 hours until the squash is soft and caramelizing and the tomatoes are wrinkly

Simmering

• Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil to a Dutch oven or similar pot over medium heat
• Add the onions, sprinkle with salt and pepper, then sauté for about 8 minutes
• Add the garlic and herbs, stir for about a minute until fragrant
• Add the roasted squash, tomatoes, and stock
• Use your immersion blender to puree the mixture
• Cover and gently simmer for 20 minutes to marry the flavors
• Refrigerate overnight or freeze

Serving Suggestions

• Gilled Cheese - Serve with a roasted pepper (spicy or sweet), cheddar, and jack grilled cheese sandwich.
• Andouille Sausage - I had some leftover andouille sausage from Lindy & Grundy that I had crumbled then browned. For fun I added it to a cup of my butternut squash soup and it was actually pretty good.
• Arbol Chiles (or similar) - The sweetness of butternut squash soup is begging for some heat.
• Crème Fraîche and Chives
• Parmesan Crisp

Storage

Butternut squash soup can be refrigerated in an airtight container for 2-3 days. It also freezes beautifully.