Recipe: Winter Squash Soup With Gruyere Cheese

Accidental Locavore Winter Squash for SoupAs an accidental locavore living in New York, we have to learn to embrace local vegetables while we’ve got them. Here is a great way to use winter squash in an easy soup, that’s not too sweet (my big issue with most butternut squash soup) adapted from bon appétit magazine. While I’m not ready to embrace fall, I can start making soup, a great comfort food in any season.

Winter Squash Soup serves 8

  • 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
  • 1 large onion, finely chopped
  • 4 large garlic cloves, chopped
  • 3 14 1/2 ounce cans low salt chicken broth (5 1/2 cups)
  • 4 cups butternut squash (about 1 1/2 pounds), peeled and cut into 1″ pieces
  • 4 cups acorn squash(about 1 1/2 pounds), peeled and cut into 1″ pieces (feel free to mix and match your squash, and/or substitute pumpkin)
  • 1 1/4 teaspoons minced fresh thyme
  • 1 1/4 teaspoons minced fresh sage
  • 1/4 cup heavy (whipping) cream
  • 2 teaspoons sugar
  • Salt and pepper

For garnish:

  • 2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter
  • 24 1/4″ thick slices from a baguette (French bread)
  • 1 cup grated Gruyere cheese
  • 1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme
  • 1 teaspoon minced fresh sage

Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and saute until tender, about 10 minutes. Add broth, squash, thyme and sage, bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until squash is very tender, about 20 minutes.

Puree soup in blender, food processor or with a stick blender (use a deep pot) in batches. Return soup to pot. Stir in cream and sugar, bring to a simmer. Season with salt and pepper.

For the garnish: Preheat broiler. Butter 1 side of each slice of bread. Arrange bread, buttered side up on a baking sheet. Broil until golden, about 1 minute. Turn over. Sprinkle with cheese, thyme and sage, salt and pepper. Broil until cheese melts, about 1 minute.

Ladle soup into bowls, top with croutons and serve. The croutons are really good and you can also do a couple at a time in a toaster oven. What I usually end up doing, is just garnishing the soup with store bought croutons, and sprinkle the grated Gruyere cheese. Try it both ways, and in the comments, let me know which you prefer.

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