In my opinion this recipe is pretty delicious. The only sweetness comes from the squash and it is a very thick puree (probably not unlike baby food). If you like your soup thinner you may want to add more vegetable broth. This recipe makes approximately 5 quarts and is easy to make a ahead for a dinner party and reheat. It also works well as a light meal served with a sandwich or some herb bread with a goat cheese like chevre. I always use fresh herbs if I have them on hand, but it still tastes excellent with high quality dried herbs. It’s definitely a little bit of a pain to prep the squash (particularly the acorn: I cut it sections, peel, and then chop), but it goes quickly with a helper and is so worth the effort. A heavy duty Y peeler works great, but you can use a good knife too. Just be careful with either because the squash does get slippery.
4 Tbsp unsalted butter
2 small to medium sized white onions
2 garlic cloves peeled
2 pounds acorn squash peeled and cubed
4 pounds butternut squash peeled and cubed
6 cups organic vegetable broth (I use 3 bouillon cubes for 6 cups water)
2 tsp dried thyme
2 tsp dried sage
1/2 tsp black pepper
1.5 tsp sea salt
2/3 cup heavy cream
In a 6 quart pot melt butter over low heat and dice onions in the meantime. This is when I usually start prepping the squash with a helper (if you don’t have a helper plan ahead). Turn heat up to medium high and add the diced onions. Saute for about 5 minutes. Add peeled garlic cloves and saute for a few more minutes. Add vegetable broth and squash and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and add thyme, sage, pepper, and salt. Simmer until squash is tender (about 20 to 30 minutes). Stir occasionally. Turn the heat off and pull out your blender. Add squash and broth in small batches to blender. Puree and pour out into a large bowl. Continue until everything in your pot has been pureed. Pour the puree from the bowl back into your pot and turn heat on low. Stir in heavy cream. Taste and adjust seasoning to your liking. Then enjoy! Leftovers freeze well.
