Butternut squash wasn’t so popular when I lived in France 10 years ago. Now, it is EVERYWHERE. And it is grown locally, all the more reason to get some to make comforting autumn recipes. The easiest thing in the world is to just cut it in half lengthwise and roast it with some salt and olive oil. But if you have a little more time, I suggest you go for this soup. The chestnut adds depth and nuttiness to the squash and also attenuates its natural sweetness. And should you want to give it an extra dose of sophistication, top the creamy soup with some sauteed mushrooms (porcinis and morels work great here, but plain old button ones do the trick too) and a dollop of cream before you serve.
Ingredients
- 1 medium butternut squash, split in half lengthwise
- salt, pepper
- 5 tbsp olive oil
- 1 branch of celery, diced
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 300 g roasted, peeled chestnuts (I get a French version of this kind packaged in a jar), slightly mashed with the back of a fork
- 3 cups chicken stock
- 1 cup light cream
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 170C
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place the butternut squash halves skin side down on the sheet. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Drizzle with 2 tbsp of olive oil. Place the sheet in the oven for 40 minutes, until the squash is cooked through. Let cool.
- Meanwhile, saute the celery and onion and the 3 remaining tbsp of olive oil in a pan on medium heat until onion is translucent, around 7-8 minutes. Add the chestnuts and 1 cup of the chicken stock and simmer for 5 minutes. Set aside.
- Scoop out the butternut squash flesh from the skin and place in a high-speed blender with the chestnut/celery stock mixture. Add the remaining chicken stock and blitz until smooth. Once smooth, add half the cream and blitz for another 30 seconds. Add salt to taste.
- Use the remaining cream to drizzle when you serve.
