Butternut Squash Soup

It’s COLD in Paris! I don’t know what happened to our hot and muggy summer, but it’s definitely soup weather. This is one of my favorite homey soups, I love the bright orange color and the internal warmth it gives. It makes a delicious entree for pork and chicken or it’s hearty enough to serve alone. This soup will keep for at least one day (unless you eat it all) and it is EASY to make.

Ingredients
1 butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cubed
1 golden delicious apple: peeled, cored, and cubed
1 medium Yukon gold potato: peeled and cubed
1 medium yellow onion chopped
4 Tablespoons olive oil
1 litre / 4 cups chicken stock
¼ cup cream (optional)
Salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
Spice options: curry powder to taste (about ½ Tablespoon) with crème fraiche drizzle or fried sage leaves with brown butter drizzle
Instructions
1. In a large pot on medium high heat sauté onions in olive oil until soft and translucent. Then add squash, apple, and potato and cook for 4 minutes until warmed through (but not browned).
2. Add chicken stock and simmer on medium heat until vegetables are soft and break apart easy with a fork (15-20 minutes). Stirring occasionally.
3. Transfer vegetables to a cuisinart or blender and puree. Then add veggies back to broth and mix well.
4. Season with curry powder, salt and pepper and serve with crème fraiche drizzle OR mix ¼ cup cream into soup and serve with chopped sage and brown butter drizzle. (The cream is optional)
For sage topping: fry 3-4 sage leaves in 3 Tablespoons of butter in a small skillet. When sage is crispy, remove and chop. Save butter to drizzle over top of soup with chopped sage.
For curry & crème fraiche topping: mix curry spice in with soup and drizzle crème fraiche over the top or use a fork tines to make a design.
Or try your own favorite toppings: chopped parsely, pumpkin seeds, bacon bits, sour cream, chipotle chiles diced, pinch of nutmeg
This soup goes great with:
1. Roasted beet, goat cheese, and arugula salad with a simple olive oil and champagne vinegar dressing
2. Vinegar chicken: chicken sautéd with red wine, red wine vinegar, & shallots
3. Pork tenderloin with an herb crust or marinated
4. Pinot noir. Why not try a French one? How about a Gevrey-Chambertin 2002 “Vielles Vignes” by Frederic Magnien. frederic-magnien
Serves 4-6 people

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