Yahoo Lifestyle How to Make Butternut Squash Soup 10x Better, According to My Chef-Husband
My husband, who happens to be a chef, has been on a big soup kick lately. Luke made green chicken chili for game day last Sunday, a hearty veggie soup the weekend before that and just about anytime we have leftovers from dinner—whether it's curry glazed cod and potatoes or tequila-marinated chicken fajitas—his first reaction is, "We can turn this into a soup."
I mean, it is fall after all. I gotta agree with the guy that soup season is most definitely on but TBH I'm facing a little soup fatigue. Or I was until he turned his attention to the MVP of fall produce: squash.
At this very moment, we have approximately seven different kinds of squash in the wooden bowl on the counter where fruit and veggies proudly sit until plucked for use. Butternut squash, honeynut squash, acorn, Hubbards, delicata and more, all vying to be chosen.
He set his sights on the butternut and honeynuts for this soup occasion and I followed him into the kitchen to watch how to make the best-ever butternut squash soup with a few simple upgrades.
Related: 58 Butternut Squash Recipes To Make This Thanksgiving
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How to Make Butternut Squash Soup Better
Level up your butternut squash soup with these chef-approved tricks.
1. Switch up your squash
Kelli Acciardo Venner
Because we had an abundance of squash to use up, Luke set the oven to 400° and set about roasting a butternut, baby honeynut and two honeypatch squash. He sliced the tops off, halved them and scooped out the seeds, then drizzled them with olive oil, added some flaky sea salt and let them roast for 30 to 40 minutes until they were a beautiful orange hue and the flesh was fork tender.
While Luke is a big fan of butternut squash for soup, he tells me he also loves honeynut and honeypatch, the brainchild of Chef Dan Barber and his Row 7 Seed Company. This smaller, sweeter squash can be found at Whole Foods and has a softer skin than butternut.
"Because the skins are softer you can leave them on when pureeing the soup in the blender, instead of removing them or scooping the flesh out, like you have to with tougher butternut," he told me. "Not only does this save you a ton of time, but the skins actually make the soup silkier." You can also use honeynut squash, which is even smaller and keep the skins on these too. Whatever squash you have on hand will work well, so use what you can find.
2. Add roasted pears
When I saw Luke reach for a few pears in addition to the squash I thought he was going somewhere in a snack or salad direction. I wasn't expecting them to be part of this soup.
"Pear and squash soup is the best combo," he said, chopping the pears into small squares with the skin on and tossing them into a pan with butter. "Especially pears sauteed in brown butter."
He let the pears hang out in the butter bath until they were nice and soft, the butter had browned and the entire kitchen smelled heavenly, then he transferred them to our Vitamix blender.
3. Keep seasonings simple
Luke didn't season the squash with anything but olive oil and sea salt before cooking it but he did reach for some cayenne pepper once he added the squash to the Vitamix with the pears. He tapped in a couple of dashes of the spice, then grabbed a jar of maple syrup and drizzled a little of that in, too. "For sweetness," he said.
"The Vitamix is high-powered enough that you can finish the soup in the blender without having to move everything over to the stovetop."
He sets the blender on high, pureeing the hot pear and squash flesh until it's super thick and glistening.
4. Make it creamier
"Could be creamier," he said, grabbing a tub of crème fraîche from the fridge and adding a few dollops to the blender, then blitzing the soup until smooth. He told me a little buttermilk, labneh or Greek yogurt would also work if you don't have crème fraîche on hand.
5. Add a crunchy topper
Kelli Acciardo Venner
Soup is always better with a garnish in Luke's opinion—and mine. For this soup, we went with sweet-and-spicy pumpkin seeds, which take all of two minutes to prep and 10 minutes to roast.
Luke tosses a few handfuls of the seeds in a small mixing bowl with a few dashes of cinnamon and cayenne pepper. In goes a little maple syrup and a pinch of salt. He also added a little melted butter to the bowl and gave everything a good mix before spreading the seeds on a sheet pan to roast at 350° until the maple syrup caramelized and the seeds had a golden glow, which took 10-15 minutes.
The result was the most delicious—almost brittle-like—pumpkin seed crunchies that are equal parts sweet and spicy thanks to the cayenne. They're perfect for scattering over soups or salads, or just eating by the handful.
Related: It’s Soup Season! Here Are 21 of the Best High-Fiber Soup Recipes To Make for Dinner
6. Finish with balsamico
Kelli Acciardo Venner
Luke poured the silky, creamy soup into two bowls straight from the blender and reached for his secret weapon: Chef Massimo Bottura's Villa Manodori Balsamic Vinegar. It's super dark and rich and Luke loves it drizzled over everything, especially butternut squash soup.
Any balsamic vinegar will do, look for an aged balsamic. It's especially good with the soup because it's thicker, darker and sweeter than your ordinary balsamic vinegar. It's an umami-packed game-changer, especially when paired with the pumpkin seeds.
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