Fall food is hands down my most favorite, everything is so warm and comforting. I created this recipe for a dinner I hosted last fall. Its super creamy without actually adding any cream thanks to the addition of white beans. The mild earthy beans pair well with the butternut squash and brown butter gives it extra richness and a delicious toasty flavor.
Ingredients -
8 cups peeled cubed butternut squash
1 medium onion - diced
3 carrots - peeled and chopped
3 stalks celery - chopped
3 T olive oil
1 can white beans - drained and rinsed
2T chopped fresh rosemary
1T chopped fresh sage
4 sprigs thyme
5 cups chicken stock
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 stick of butter - browned, instructions in recipe
1 recipe Herb Croutons - recipe below
Heat oil in a large stock pot or dutch oven, add onions and sauté until they are starting to brown. Add carrots and celery and cook until they soften slightly and start to brown as well. Stir in herbs, salt and pepper, white beans, and squash. Add stock. Bring the soup to a boil then reduce the heat, cover, and simmer until the squash is soft.
While the soup is simmering place 1 stick a butter in a small sauce pan. Melt the butter over medium low heat, cook the butter until the milk solids separate and become white foam on the top, keep cooking until the white foam starts to fall to the bottom of the pan and turn brown. Remove from the heat immediately, scrape the bottom of the pan to loosen the browned bits, and set aside.
When the squash is soft ladle about a third the soup into a blender add 1/3 of the browned butter and blend until smooth. Place blended soup into a different pot. Repeat with remaining soup and butter until it is all blended. Serve soup topped with herb croutons
Herb Croutons
4 slices of challah bread or brioche - about 4 cups
4T olive oil
3T chopped fresh herbs - rosemary, thyme, sage
Heat olive oil in a large sauté pan, add herbs and then bread cubes. Stir to coat the bread in oil and herbs. Cook over medium high heat stirring frequently until the bread cubes are browned and crispy on all sides.
Serves 6 as a side dish or starter
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