Thanksgiving 2020. Say NO more. What does your holiday look like in the year of Covid 19? Yep, ours too. A 40 plus family affair is down to 5 or 4 or 2, depending on the day. One decision that Randy and I have made is we are going to celebrate this day like we never have. Dining room, china, plated, fancy (soup)…because it may just be the two of us. Whatever your circumstances are, make it memorable and share gratitude.
I’m making soup as the first course of our fancy pants dinner. Not just any soup, a genius Thomas Keller soup! Not difficult, but steppy and a true labor of love. The soup hosts a fantastic balance of sweet flavors from the honey, carrots, and squash – to a savory array of earthy flavors like leeks, shallots, onion, and the herbs from the bouquet garni.
The soup is finished with brown butter right before serving, along with some crème fraîche, a dusting of nutmeg and garnished with a crispy sage leaf. Butternut Squash Soup is a wonderful dish to make ahead, (can be made 3 days in advance) as it just gets sweeter while it sits in the refrigerator. Make Ahead: I froze the soup and will add the browned butter and crispy sage before serving.
Butternut Squash Soup with Brown Butter, Sage and Nutmeg Creme Fraiche
Serves 6
- 1 3 to 3 1/2- pound butternut squash
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- kosher salt and fresh ground pepper
- 4 sprigs fresh sage
- 1 cup thinly sliced leeks, rinsed and cleaned
- 1/2 cup thinly sliced carrots
- 3/4 cup thinly sliced sweet yellow onion
- 6 garlic cloves, minced
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 6 cups vegetable stock, more if needed
- Bouquet Garni made of 8 sprigs of thyme, 2 bay leaves, 2 sprigs sage, and 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
- 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter
- 1/3 cup creme fraiche or good sour cream
- freshly grated nutmeg
- kosher salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.
Cut the neck off the squash and set it aside. Cut the bulb in half and scoop out and discard the seeds. Brush each half inside and out with about 1 1/2 teaspoons of the canola oil. Sprinkle the cavities with salt and pepper and tuck a sprig of sage into each. Place cut side down on the baking sheet and roast for about 1 hour, or until completely tender.
Meanwhile, using a paring knife or a peeler, carefully peel away the skin from the neck of the squash until you reach the bright orange flesh. Cut the flesh into 1/2-inch pieces (you should have about 4 cups).
Meanwhile, place the creme fraiche or sour cream in a small bowl and stir in nutmeg to taste; cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Remove the squash from the oven and let cool, then scoop out and reserve the flesh (discard sage).
Put the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in a stockpot over medium-high heat, add the leeks, carrots, and onions and cook, stirring often, for about 6 minutes. Add the garlic, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and cook gently for 3 minutes, reducing the heat as necessary to keep the garlic from coloring. Stir in the honey and cook, stirring, for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the stock and bouquet garni, bring to a simmer and cook for 10 to 15 minutes. Add the roasted squash and simmer gently for about 30 minutes for the flavors to blend.
Remove from the heat and discard the bouquet garni.
Transfer the soup to a blender, in batches, and puree. Strain the soup through a fine sieve into a bowl. (A bit tetius, but important to create its silky texture.)
Taste the soup and adjust the seasoning. If it is too thick, add a little more vegetable stock.
Heat a medium skillet over high heat.
When it is very hot, add the butter and rotate the skillet over the heat as necessary to brown the butter evenly, scraping up any bits that settle in the bottom. As soon as the butter is a hazelnut brown, pour it into the pot of soup, then stir.
Meanwhile, if using sage leaves, heat 1/8 inch of canola oil in a small skillet. When the oil is very hot, add the sage and cook for 30 to 45 seconds, turning the leaves to crisp them on both sides. When the bubbling stops, the moisture in the leaves will have evaporated and the leaves will be crisp. Drain the sage on paper towels and sprinkle with salt.
Ladle the soup into six serving bowls. Top each with a dollop of crème fraîche. Grind some black pepper (or nutmeg) over the top and garnish each with 2 sage leaves or some minced chives. Drizzle a little olive oil over the top.
