Squash Soup: Further Proof That If You Can Read, You Can Cook

As far as dowries go, mine is pretty weak. A busted ’60s Farberware chicken rotisserie, a sizable Calvin and Hobbes collection, and a bejeweled vintage green clutch; in terms of tangible items, this is what I bring to the table. So obviously, I rely on the intangibles–namely, my cooking–which is precisely why I’m so hesitant to reveal that one of my long time winning-hearts-and-minds staples, Squash Soup, requires no expertise or skill at all.

Squash soup was one of my first great cooking triumphs, and a delightful surprise considering that I had no idea what I was doing. I invited a friend for dinner, meticulously followed a recipe found on Epicurious.com (even before I knew how cook, I still had moderate success in the kitchen as I am an ace direction-follower) and spent an hour in our dorm’s depressing communal kitchen making this sublime soup: smooth and creamy, with sage and thyme, and just a little bit of sweetness. Perfect for cold weather.

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My friend and I sat in my dorm room and ate two bowlfuls each, blissfully happy to have found a temporary escape from the dining hall’s chicken strips and supermarket lighting.

Over the years, I’ve continued to make this soup every fall and winter. I’ve tried different squash combinations, introduced homemade chicken stock, and for efficiency’s sake, tinkered slightly with the method, but the recipe below is virtually identical to the one I first used. Feel free to use any firm, tasty squash you like, my favorite is a mix of Butternut and Acorn. Neither of these is new or fashionable, but each is delicious and easy to find, though the best specimens are local ones, found at the Farmer’s Market.

Right now, the weather is crisp and cool, squash abound and not even a complete lack of cooking knowledge will serve as an excuse. Just follow the directions and make some soup. And while you’re at it, eat it with someone you like.

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Creamy Squash Soup

Makes a lot.

4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter

1 large yellow onion, chopped

4 cloves garlic, sliced 

1 rib celery (optional)

4-5 sprigs of fresh thyme, leaves picked

4-5 good sized fresh sage leaves, roughly chopped

splash of cream sherry or white wine (optional)

1 smallish butternut squash (about 1 1/2 lbs.), peeled, seeded and chopped in approximately 1” cubes

1 acorn squash (1 to 1 1/2 lbs.), peeled, seeded and chopped OR pre-roasted (see below)

approximately 6 cups chicken stock (homemade is best, but a low-sodium store-bought version works well too)

salt and pepper to taste

1/3 cup heavy cream (You could leave this out if you wanted to make a dairy-free soup) 

Butternut squash is easy enough to peel and chop, but acorn squash is another matter. Before you begin, may I suggest that–instead of wrestling with the acorn squash until it breaks either your knife or your spirit–you pre-roast it so that the flesh is soft and can be easily scooped out the skin? Whack it in half, scoop out the seeds and place the halves, flesh side down, on a baking sheet. Roast in a 400 F oven for 30-40 minutes, until the flesh is soft.

In a small stock pot or something like it, sauté the onion, garlic, celery, thyme and sage over medium heat until the onions are translucent and just starting to color. Add a couple of pinches of salt and, if you’re using it, the booze. Simmer until most of the liquid is evaporated. Add the butternut squash pieces and the (hopefully) pre-roasted acorn squash and cover with stock. If you don’t have quite enough to comfortably cover the squash, just add water. Simmer over medium heat until the squash is very tender. Puree in the blender in batches until smooth, adding a bit of the cream with each batch. Return to the pan, add water or more stock as necessary to get the thickness you require (there is no right consistency, I prefer thinner as a first course and thicker as a main) and season with salt and pepper to taste. I like to serve this soup with thick slices of bread and apples and sharp cheddar cheese, but it’s also delicious when adorned with some homemade croutons or some crumbles of bacon. Also, feel free to make this ahead of time; soup, of course, is always better the next day.