Squash Soup with Sourdough Brown Butter Croutons
A variation on Butternut Squash Soup, using two kinds of squash and all the fall flavors!
Ingredients
Squash Soup
- 1 large butternut squash
- 1 large acorn squash
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp cracked black pepper
- 3 tbsp unsalted butter
- 4 carrots diced
- 1/2 yellow onion diced
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 shallot minced
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 1 inch piece of fresh ginger grated
- 2 granny smith apples peeled and diced
- 1 tbsp fresh rosemary chopped
- 1 tbsp fresh thyme chopped
- 1 tbsp fresh sage chopped
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp cracked black pepper
- 4 cups vegetable broth reduced sodium
- 2 cups chicken broth reduced sodium
- 1/2 can full fat coconut milk I like the Thai Kitchen brand
- salt and pepper to taste
Sourdough Brown Butter Croutons
- 6 slices sourdough bread
- 1 stick unsalted butter cut into 1 tbsp pieces
- 8 leaves fresh sage
- 1/4 tsp flakey sea salt
Instructions
Make the Sourdough Brown Butter Croutons
- Preheat oven to 275 degrees F, and prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Place the sourdough slices on the prepared baking sheet, and toast in the oven for 10 minutes, or until lightly browned. Transfer to a cutting board.
- Cut the toasted sourdough slices into 1 inch cubes. Turn oven temperature up to 350 degrees F.
- In a large frying pan (light colored pan is best), melt the butter over medium heat, then add the sage leaves. The butter will start to foam, and after the foam dissipates you should start to see lightly browned specks forming at the bottom of the pan. Stir continuously to avoid burning. Keep an eye on the sage, and remove with a slotted spoon if it starts to get too crispy before the butter is ready. Place on a paper towel-lined plate.
- After about 5-8 minutes, the butter should have turned golden brown, with a very nutty aroma. Turn off the heat, remove the sage leaves if you haven't already, then immediately add in the sourdough cubes and toss quickly to combine (the bread will soak up that butter fast, so you want to mix quickly and thoroughly to evenly disperse brown butter).
- Return sourdough cubes to baking sheet, sprinkle with flakey sea salt, and bake for 6-8 minutes, tossing halfway through, until golden brown. Set aside.
Roast the Squash
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F, and prepare a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Halve the butternut and acorn squash, remove the seeds and pulp, and brush with olive oil. Season with a sprinkle of salt, pepper and cinnamon over each half.
- Roast squash cut-side up for 40-50 minutes, or until fork tender.
- Remove from oven, and set aside to cool while continuing to make the soup base.
Prepare the Soup Base
- After the squash is in the oven, peel and dice the carrots, yellow onion and apples, and then peel and mince the shallot and garlic. Peel the ginger piece.
- Heat butter in a dutch oven or soup pot over medium-high heat, then add the carrots and yellow onion. Sprinkle in 1/2 tsp salt. Cook until tender, about 7-8 minutes.
- Reduce heat to medium, then add the garlic and shallot. Using a microplane, grate the ginger in. Stir to combine, and cook for 1-2 minutes until fragrant.
- Add in diced apple, rosemary, thyme, sage, 1 tsp of salt, 1/2 tsp cinnamon and 1/4 tsp cracked black pepper. Stir to combine.
- Add in broth, scraping up any brown bits on the bottom of the pot. Cover and simmer on medium-low heat for 15-20 minutes, or until roasted squash is out of the oven and cool enough to handle. Stir occasionally.
Add the Squash and Finish the Soup
- Once roasted squash is cool enough to handle, use a large spoon to scoop out the flesh and add to your soup pot. Stir to combine.
- Blend soup using an immersion blender, or add to a blender in batches. Return soup to pot if blender was used.
- Stir in 1/2 can of full fat coconut milk, and add salt and pepper to taste.
- Ladle soup into a bowl, top with a drizzle of coconut milk, dash of cinnamon, sourdough brown butter croutons and a fried sage leaf.