Best Butternut Squash Soup — Thank you, Master Chef Thomas Keller

Best Butternut Squash Soup – Richly-Flavored, Velvety-Textured, Winning Technique

Quite the rarity for me to label anything “the best.” However, today’s Best Butternut Squash Soup deserves the title. Originally created by Thomas Keller (widely acknowledged as one of the world’s top chefs), its layers of flavor, velvety texture and refined technique make for an outstanding soup.

Techniques of a master chef
Many years ago, Jacques Auber, the Master French Pastry Chef I worked with shared what he considered the three most important keys for successful cooking/baking.

• Technique is the most important.
• Temperature comes next.
• Recipe comes last.

Obviously, Thomas Keller intuitively knows this. For the Best Butternut Squash Soup his techniques are impeccable. He gets the very most out of his ingredients by playing with temperature, i.e. roasting some of the squash and simmering the rest in broth.

Keller creates layers of flavor, with five different alliums—onions, leek, shallot, chives or green onions and garlic. Then he enriches and enlivens the squash flavor with the inclusion of a carrot or two and a dab of honey.

In the process of making this soup I learned so much. Keller’s finely-honed techniques and attention to detail creates the Best Butternut Squash Soup. Now that’s a master chef.

Layers of flavor

You’ll be amazed at the layers of flavor in this soup. It may take a little more time to prepare, but for the Best Butternut Squash Soup, you’re greatly rewarded.

Going for a bit healthier soup without sacrificing deliciousness, I left out Keller’s suggested swirl of brown butter. And I substituted a dollop of some freshly made labneh for his preferred crème fresh. Then I drizzled on my favorite lemon olive oil for a touch of brightness.

Butternut Squash Soup in the Spring?

We had snow all day yesterday. This picture was taken outside our front door. Perhaps where you live spring also means cold, snowy and overcast one day and blue skies and sunshine the next.

If so, the Best Butternut Squash Soup remains the perfect comfort food. And, if you’ve stored a butternut squash or two through the winter (as I did), now’s the time to cook them up. Here in Montana we can still find butternut squash in our local markets.

Though if your part of the country has warm days and sunshine and no butternut squash in sight, then bookmark this recipe for your first fall dinner party.

The Best Butternut Squash Soup – Thank You, Thomas Keller

Thank you also to Amanda Hesser of the NY Times who adapted this recipe from Thomas Keller, from which I have lightly adapted and simplified the recipe as well.

Makes 9-10 cups                                            Printer-Friendly Recipe
Total time  1 ¾ hours

Ingredients

3 to 3 ½ pounds butternut squash
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 ½ cups thinly sliced leek (white and light green parts)
OR 1 cup leek and ½ cup thinly sliced shallots
½ cup thinly sliced onion
½ cup thinly sliced carrot
6 medium cloves garlic, peeled and smashed with the back of a knife
1 ½ teaspoons Himalayan or sea salt
Dozen twists freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons mild honey
7 cups unsalted or low sodium vegetable stock, preferably homemade
Salt to taste
Bouquet Garni: 8 sprigs fresh thyme, 2 sprigs Italian parsley, 2 bay leaves, ½ teaspoon black peppercorns tied up in unbleached cheesecloth or in a packet made from 2 leek leaves.

Garnish, optional
Labneh or crème fraiche flavored with freshly grated nutmeg to taste
Thinly sliced scallion greens or chives
Drizzle of Extra Virgin Olive Oil or Lemon Olive Oil

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a small baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Cut off the ball end of the squash. Cut it in half and scoop out the seeds. Lightly brush both the inside and the outside with a little of the olive oil. Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Bake cut side down about 1 hour or until completely tender. When the squash is cool enough to work with, use a knife to peel off the skin, reserving the flesh.
3. While the squash is roasting, use a Y peeler to remove the peel off the neck end of the squash. Peel until all the green is gone. Cut the squash into ½ inch cubes, to equal at least 4 cups.
4. In a heavy-bottom soup pot or Dutch oven, heat the remaining olive oil over medium-high. Cook the leeks, onion and carrot, stirring often, for about 6 minutes. Stir in the diced squash, smashed garlic, salt and freshly ground pepper. Cook 3 minutes. Lowering the heat to keep the garlic from browning.
5. Stir in the honey and cook another 2 minutes. Add the stock and bouquet garni. Bring the soup to a boil. Lower the heat so the soup simmers until the squash is tender, 10-15 minutes. Stir in the roasted squash. Simmer partially covered for another 30 minutes to blend the flavors. Turn off the heat. Discard the bouquet garni.
6. Blend the soup in batches until smooth and creamy. Adjust the consistency with additional stock if necessary. Adjust the salt and pepper to taste.
7. Serve the Best Butternut Squash with a dollop of the nutmeg flavored labneh or crème fraiche, a sprinkling of scallion greens and a drizzle of your best olive oil.

Printer-Friendly Recipe.