Autumn squash soup
It’s October and the first leaves are beginning to fall—pumpkins and mums are starting to rapidly multiply on stoops and in store windows. The time has come for a special dish to return to every seasonal menu: the autumn squash soup.
Nearly every restaurant in the city has a version of this fall favorite. Simple though it may be, this seasonal obligation took me years to perfect. I first encountered it when my mother started deviating from the standard, Southern Italian canon. She hesitantly served it to us, yet this dessert-like soup became an instant hit in our household.
When it came time to continue the tradition myself in college, my mother could not seem to locate the original recipe. Instead, she sent me one for a “simple pumpkin soup,” that proclaimed to require “only four ingredients!” Even early on in my cooking career, I was skeptical of something so sparse. Ignoring my intuition, I decided to give it a try.
One night, I convinced my roommate to stay in for a dinner, which I promised would be an autumnal delight. I grabbed a “pie pumpkin” and began the nearly half hour long process of peeling it. After throwing the pale-yellow pumpkin flesh into a pot with a gratuitous amount of butter, I immediately feared it would lack flavor. As it simmered, it seemed to be void any real aroma, and little by little I watched the dish collapse into pallid nothingness. Having no further instruction from this “simple” recipe, I was lost.
When it was finished, I started to panic; the soup was depressingly bland and what little flavor it did have was sour and unappealing. I manically started adding anything I could to improve it: cinnamon, sage, salt, cream, more salt, cayenne pepper, ginger, rosemary, thyme, nutmeg, even more salt—it only got worse. I warned my roommate, who at this point was famished to the point of aggravation, that it was not my best. After only a few sips of this autumn nightmare, all he could say was, “interesting… a bit briny.” No sooner had the words left his mouth than we dropped our spoons, dumped the pumpkin swill, and ran to the nearest eatery.
I still herald this “pumpkin soup” as the worst thing that I have ever made. This mistake set me on a journey to redemption. The following year I worked at a restaurant that made a fabulous squash soup from the giant Blue Hubbard squash. I’d never seen any vegetable so large! This inspired me to try again…and again… and finally—after years of scrolling through Pinterest, reading mommy blogs, countless articles, and cookbooks—I began to build my own recipe. Many Autumns passed, but eventually I learned the common denominators that make up what is essential about this seasonal favorite.
It is paramount that you select the best possible squash. Anything sold as a “pie” pumpkin has only one purpose—to become a jack-o-lantern; heed my warning and avoid them completely. Butternut is the queen of squash—she’s reliably flavorful and perfectly textured. If you want a more savory flavor you can use Acorn, Kobucha, or Buttercup. If you want richer, sweeter flavors, try the adorable little Honeynut or the spooky looking Koginut. If quantity is what you’re looking for then perhaps you’ll need a cheese pumpkin, or my favorite, the Blue Hubbard squash. Once you’ve selected the perfect squash the rest is actually quite simple!
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Preheat the oven to 425 degrees, and prepare the squash for roasting by slicing it in half and discarding the pulp. Lightly rub it with olive oil and salt and place it flat side down on a baking sheet. Roast until the skin begins to brown and test with a fork to make sure the squash is soft in the thickest part; this will take 45 minutes for your average 3-4 pound squash. Scoop the roasted squash out of the skin, season with a little salt, and set aside.
Note: This method can be used for any dish where roasted squash puree is required.
In a heavy bottomed pot on medium heat, add four ounces of sliced bacon (or diced pancetta), cook until crisp, then remove, leaving the drippings in the pot. Then add two tablespoons each of butter and olive oil, and to that three thinly sliced shallots and one smashed clove of garlic. Once they begin to caramelize and the garlic turns soft, pour in 1/2 cup of good white wine or sherry. Allow a minute to bubble, then sprinkle in one tablespoon of chopped, fresh sage. Allow it to cook for a minute more, then add four or five cups of cooked squash. Let the squash soak up all the fat and seasonings, then add three cups of good stock. Let this simmer with the lid on for 15 minutes on medium- low heat. Turn the burner off, let rest for ten minutes (or until cool enough to handle) and puree. Return the pot to low heat and add a scant 1/4 teaspoon of cayenne pepper, a heavy scraping of fresh nutmeg (or an 1/8 teaspoon of ground), two tablespoons of maple syrup, and one teaspoon of salt. Stir thoroughly and taste for seasoning. If you want a smoother soup, you may add 1/2 cup of cream. If you want a thinner soup, add one more cup of stock.
Serve with the remaining crispy bacon or pancetta, a drizzle of olive oil and a few fried sage leaves. Taste carefully for seasoning; depending on the kind of squash, you may want to adjust a bit.
For example: a more savory squash may want more spice and salt, etc.
This makes an excellent precursor to a thanksgiving dinner in place of a sweet potato casserole, or a light lunch with a simple salad and a Negroni Sbagliato.
Enough for four people.