Hey folks, it's certainly been a while! I have some upcoming posts where I'll explain in a bit more detail about where I've been (cross country move and divorce in a global pandemic can get a girl distracted!), but for now I wanted to get a real recipe out there because it truly is that good!
Let me tell you, Florence Pugh's recipe is no side dish. This soup is savory, hearty, and delicious. It includes some toppings that truly elevate the soup and compliment the traditional flavors.
And of course, being the foodie I am, I did update it with some of my own preferences. For one, I made it fully vegetarian. The other adjustments were just things I thought would work well, and you better believe they did!
For adjustments, I...
- used a single, large squash instead of two. It yielded about 5 servings of soup with just one, which was perfect for me.
- added boiled potato to the soup itself for creaminess without additional dairy.
- also added an apple to the soup for sweetness.
- totally forgot the Serrano pepper, but the chorizo brought enough spice that I didn't mind much.
I promise this isn't as difficult as the original article makes it out to be. Yes, you'll use a lot of pots and pans for this recipe, but it's pretty straightforward and not nearly as time consuming as it seems. And absolutely worth it for a hearty fall-themed dish!
Savory Butternut Squash Soup
(Adapted from Florence Pugh's recipe by way of Buzzfeed)- 1 large butternut squash
- 5 cloves garlic
- 3 cups vegetable broth (I used my veggie scraps recipe)
- 1 small apple, peeled, cored, and cubed
- 2 medium sized yellow potatoes, peeled and cubed
- 1 medium sized onion, sliced thin
- 1 tube chorizo (or soyrizo)
- 3 handfuls kale
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- Olive oil
- Salt and pepper
-Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Cut the squash in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds. Slice the butternut squash into 1.5 inch slices. Toss with olive oil, salt and pepper, and place in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes, then turn the slices over and bake for an additional 20 minutes. Finished butternut squash should be fork-tender. Let cool while you prep the rest of the ingredients.
-Roast the garlic as you wish: you can use Florence's method of roasting the cloves individually (sliced lengthwise) alongside the butternut squash, or do my method of taking the whole head of garlic, cutting the top 1/8 or so off the top, drizzling with olive oil, and lightly wrapping with aluminum foil. You'll place this in the oven when you roast the butternut squash.
-Take 1/3 of the cubed potatoes and toss with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes, checking for tenderness and flipping occasionally. You can do this alongside baking the butternut squash. Set aside.
-In a large pot, bring the remaining potatoes and apple to a boil in the broth. Boil until tender, about ten minutes.
-Peel the butternut squash and garlic, and add to the pot with the potatoes and apple. Using an immersion blender, blend until smooth. Add seasonings and adjust to taste.
-In a separate pan, caramelize the onion slices. Melt a pat of butter over high heat or use a bit of olive oil, add the onions, lightly salt them, and cook until deep brown in color, stirring occasionally. Remove from pan.
-In the same pan, brown the chorizo. Remove and set aside, then add the kale with a bit of olive oil, salt, and pepper. Cook until kale is wilted and set aside.
-Assemble: Ladle soup into bowl and top with kale, caramelized onions, roasted potatoes, and chorizo. Serve hot.
Tips:
- Cooking times for the squash and potatoes will vary. So long as they're cooked until tender, you can adjust the timing accordingly.
- So long as your oven can fit it all, you can roast the butternut squash, garlic, and potatoes at the same time.
- You can peel the squash before roasting, but I've found it's MUCH easier to peel once cooked and cooled. You can use a paring knife or your fingers to pull the squash away from the skin.
- Cube the potatoes small, it will ensure a crispier potato and will work best for taking bites of soup with a little bit of everything.
- It tastes EVEN BETTER the next day, after the flavors have had time to meld together. I also think it'd freeze well.
PROTIP: add two tablespoons of butter right at the end for extra richness.
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