brown-butter-nut squash soup

for mlk weekend, three of my best girlfriends from the days when i was still "jessica" migrated west from cold-as-balls new york to oh-so-sunny san francisco.  it was the first chance i've had for an east meets west dinner party, gathering some of the greatest women to have come through my life from both coasts at one dining table.  and since living in new york pretty much means living in a breadbox, it was fun to get to play in the kitchen with my new york friends.  we made fish en papillote, mushroom risotto but the star of the party was a deliciously rich brown-butter-nut squash soup.  i’ve been making this soup all season long, and i have to say, double the butter makes double the deliciousness.  butternut squash soup is already one of autumn and winter's finest treats but then when you layer in a rich and flavorful brown butter base, it's like adding a push-up bra to an already beautiful set of boobs.  you're just elevating something that's already great to begin with - you don't need it but it definitely benefits from the extra oomf.  and who couldn't use a little oomf every now and then?

brown-butter-nut squash soup

serves 6 to 8, as a starter

4 tbs. butter
1 teaspoon of fresh thyme or about 4 sage leaves
1 butternut squash, preferably one that's > 2 lbs.
1 medium onion, diced or 6 leeks (white / light green part only sliced) you want to get to about a cup and a half
1 quart chicken stock
salt & pepper

melt the butter over med-low heat until it turns amber colored and smells nutty.  remove from heat and add in thyme or sage or both to flavor the brown butter.  

nuke the squash for about 5 min on each side in the microwave - this will soften it up or else it will be a pain in the arse to work with.  peel the skin off the butternut squash, slice in half and remove seeds from the inside and chop into cubes (it doesn't have to be neat cause it all gets pureed in the end).  

heat medium sized pot over medium-high heat.  add brown butter (with herbs removed) and let it reheat for about 30 seconds but be careful to not let it brown anymore.  add the leeks or onions and saute for about 5 minutes until the onions are translucent of the leeks are limp.  add the butternut squash and enough stock to cover all the vegetables (this may not be the entire quart).  put the lid on and bring it to a boil.  then lower heat and simmer for about 30 minutes.  

everything should be nice and soft at this point for pureeing.  i'd let the soup cool down a bit so even if it does spatter, you won't burn yourself.  using an immersion blender, blend until smooth.  you can add more stock at this point to get the consistency a bit smoother or less thick.  then season with salt & pepper.  i usually like to serve with some creme fraiche or sour cream and a fried sage leaf (just fry a sage leaf using some EVOO).

Comments

[Nags]

are those cork coasters from Ikea :) if so, i have them too :D

[Mari]

Sage accentuates soups of the squash and pumpkin variety so nicely, but the brown butter is most certainly the key to true satisfaction. I'll be giving this a go soon.

[Byron Shirley]

I *love* this soup, although I've made as a bisque, so it's a little thicker. I add cream and have a secret sweetner: a couple of soup spoons of maple syrup.

Nuking the squash is a good idea..I used to cut the squash in half and roast it in the oven, rubbed in olive oil with salt and pepper.

Thanks for coming by at Paulette Macarons. Great Blog... :)

[DocChuck]

My wife, Dr. E., and I have been enjoying btternut squash soup for over 25 years now (as a happily married couple who love to cook).

Thank you for promoting this wonderful soup to the young immigrants who are aspiring to discover the wonderful tastes of our American ancestors.

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