Roasted Butternut and Onion Soup

One of my favorite grocery innovations of the last few years is the ready availability of pre-cut butternut squash. I love butternut, but peeling and seeding it myself for a quick weeknight meal more trouble than I am generally willing to undertake. So butternut squash dishes used to be a special occasion food for me. But now, so many stores offer peeled and ready to use pieces, it’s a regular menu item in my kitchen. And this soup is in frequent rotation in my kitchen, because for very little effort, the result is surprisingly complex and deep.

Roasting both the squash and the onion brings out the sweetness and adds an almost smoky note. Don’t be shy – the onions should get a little black in places and deeply browned in others. Just make sure it is very soft all the way through. Keep an eye on the squash – the size of the pieces you start with will determine how long it will take to get nice brown edges and a soft center. I like to pour everything through a strainer to produce a silkier result, but it is not a deal breaker. Top this soup however suits your fancy. A dollop of sour cream or crème fraiche, a swirl of olive oil, a sprinkling of toasted nuts, or simple croutons floating in the bowl.

Roasted Butternut and Onion Soup

2017-12-29 14:48:27

Serves 6

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Ingredients

1. 3 medium yellow onions
2. 2 pounds peeled butternut squash pieces
3. olive oil
4. kosher salt and black pepper
5. 6 cups chicken broth
6. ¼ cup sage leaves

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with non-stick foil to make clean up simple.
2. Peel the onions and cut into quarters. Leave the stem end intact to hold the quarters together. Drizzle lightly with olive oil, just enough to lightly coat the onions. I use my hands to spread just a light coat of oil. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Roast the onions for 1 hour, or until charred in places and soft so that a knife slips right through.
3. Place the squash cubes on the second baking sheet. Drizzle lightly with olive oil, again, just enough to barely coat the pieces. Toss them around with your hands to coat with the oil. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Roast the squash for 45 minutes to an hour, just until lightly browned in places and very soft. The time this takes will depend on the size of the squash pieces, so check frequently and remove from the oven when done.
4. Let the onions and the squash cool slightly, then begin pureeing with a few cups of broth and the sage leaves. You will probably need to do this in several batches – use about 2 cups of broth with each batch. Pour the puree through a strainer into a large Dutch oven. Season with salt and pepper as needed and heat through. You can add a bit of water to thin the soup out if you would like.

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