Author Notes
This is a favorite recipe that I have cooked for years. Each Fall when butternut squash are abundant, I make a huge batch of this soup and freeze about a half-dozen gallon sized ziploks of the stuff to get us through the Winter. The recipe calls for a little cream which can certainly be eliminated if you are trying to watch such things. When I make this, I do not add the cream prior to freezing, but will swirl a bit into the soup after it has thawed and been reheated. This allows me to serve some without if someone requests it that way. The drizzle of maple cream on top at service is a delicious touch, one I recommend you NOT skip unless you really must. - Oui, Chef
—Oui, Chef
Test Kitchen Notes
I can’t think of a more pleasurable way to spend a chilly autumn afternoon than making Oui, Chef’s soup. Leeks, carrots, celery, and butternut squash are bathed in butter, then a splash of apple cider and some tart diced apples produced the most heavenly aromas in my kitchen. The finished soup was delicious—fresh and light, with a lovely marriage of apples and butternut squash flavors. The maple cream adds a sweet, rich touch. Only thing I added was a pinch of salt, since my homemade broth was unsalted. So yummy—this dish will definitely go into my fall kitchen rotation! –cookinginvictoria —The Editors
Ingredients
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2 1/2 pounds
butternut squash, peeled, seeded, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
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2 cups
chopped leeks (white and pale green parts only)
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2
carrots, peeled and chopped
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2
ribs celery, peeled and chopped
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3
Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, chopped
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5 tablespoons
butter
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2 teaspoons
dried thyme
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1/2 teaspoon
dried sage
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5 cups
homemade chicken stock or canned low-salt chicken broth
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1 cup
apple cider
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1/2 cup
heavy cream (optional)
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2/3 cup
sour cream
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1/4 cup
maple syrup
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snipped fresh chives
Directions
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Melt the butter in heavy large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add squash, leeks, carrot and celery; sauté until slightly softened, about 15 minutes. Mix in apples, thyme, sage, stock and 1 cup cider and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low. Cover and simmer until apples are tender, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes. Let cool for about 15 minutes before proceeding.
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Working in batches, purée soup in blender, then pass through a fine meshed sieve into a clean pan, to remove any lumps.
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Place sour cream in small bowl and whisk in maple syrup, reserve. (Soup and maple cream can be made 1 day ahead, cover separately and refrigerate).
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Bring soup back to simmer. Mix in whipping cream (if using). Ladle soup into bowls. Drizzle with maple cream. Top with chives.
I am a father of five, who recently completed a two year professional hiatus during which I indulged my long held passion for cooking by moving to France to study the culinary arts and immerse myself in all things French. I earned “Le Grande Diplome” from Le Cordon Bleu, studied also at The Ritz Escoffier and Lenotre cooking schools, and completed the course offerings of the Bordeaux L’Ecole du Vin.
About six months ago started "Oui, Chef", which is a food blog that exists as an extension of my efforts to teach my children a few things about cooking, and how our food choices over time effect not only our own health, but that of our local food communities and our planet at large. By sharing some of our cooking experiences through the blog, I hope to inspire other families to start spending more time together in the kitchen, cooking healthy meals as a family, passing on established familial food traditions, and perhaps starting some new ones.
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