A wonderful combination. As fall continues forward and winter lies just ahead, I love turning to the earth for sustenance and grounding. There is no better way to connect with mother earth than with a squash soup. Any squash can be used in this recipe and vegetable broth can be substituted for chicken broth. I use dried forest mushrooms, but really, use whatever kind you like. Experiment with different flavors and spices. This recipe is a basic one and is meant to be personalized or not.
Serves 4
Ingredients:
1 medium squash such as a butternut, peeled, cubed, and roasted (I used a combination of 2 different smaller squashes)
2 Tablespoons olive oil
2 garlic cloves, crushed with skins on and roasted
1 sprig of fresh thyme, leaves removed from stems and stems discarded
3 Tablespoons unsalted butter
1 medium sweet onion, diced
3-4 cups chicken broth (you can substitute vegetable broth if you prefer)
1/4 lb seasonal mushrooms (I used a dried forest mix, see note)
Note: If you have never used dried mushrooms, I would recommend that you save trying them for a different recipe. Some have a woody texture and might not be to your liking.
honey
red pepper flake
dried thyme
sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Preparing:
Toss peeled and cubed squash with olive oil and place on a baking sheet. Season with sea salt and pepper. Scatter the garlic cloves and the fresh thyme leaves over the squash and roast at 400 degrees until tender, 20-30 minutes. When done, set aside.
In a heavy soup pot, melt 1 tablespoon of butter and add a splash of olive oil.
Add onions with a pinch of salt and saute until translucent.
Remove peels from garlic cloves and add to the pot along with the squash and the chicken stock. Bring to a slight boil, then simmer on low for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, if using dried mushrooms, place in a bowl and cover with boiling water. Let sit for 10 minutes or until soft, drain. I always keep just a little bit of the water just in case I need to thin out the soup. Skip this step if you are using fresh mushrooms.
When soup has finished simmering, puree in a blender, adding more stock or mushroom water as needed to thin the soup. Season with sea salt, freshly ground pepper, and dried thyme, to taste.
In a saute pan, melt 2 tablespoons of butter, add the mushrooms and a pinch of salt. Let the mushrooms caramelize to a beautiful brown color. Remove from the heat and set aside.
To serve, ladle the soup into individual bowls and top with mushrooms, a drizzle of honey, and a smidge of red pepper flake. Enjoy!
Recipe inspired by the cookbook, Full Moon Suppers, by Annemarie Ahearn