The Best Butternut Squash Soup with Crème Fraîche and Hazelnuts

Nothing is more quintessential to Fall then the comfort of a creamy butternut squash soup.

Butternut squash is the undisputed favorite vegetable of the Fall harvest for its comforting quality and beautiful Autumn color. This swoon-worthy soup will satisfy your cravings with its earthy notes, sweet undertones, and nutty flavor. The secret is to sweat the vegetables for a richer flavor instead of boiling them and to add potatoes for body and to bind the ingredients together for a velvety smooth texture. Serve the soup with a warm loaf of french bread, a glass of floral Viognier and garnish with fresh parsley and seeds to balance the soup for a satisfying and easy meal.

 6 SERVINGS      20 MINS      EASY    VIOGNIER

INGREDIENTS
Butternut Squash Soup
1/2 medium butternut squash
1/2 medium onion
1 medium potato
500 ml cold water
1 small bay leaf
40 ml hazelnut oil
30 ml olive oil
20 g butter
salt to taste
1 pinch of pepper

Garnish
3 slices of french bread
80 g butternut squash
20 g pumpkin seeds
20 g pine nuts
20 g hazelnuts
120 g crème fraîche
30 ml hazelnut oil
few leaves parsley
20 ml olive oil
1 pinch of salt

METHOD
Butternut Squash Soup

  1. Peel the onions, potatoes and squash. Remove the seeds from the squash.
  2. Dice the onions. Cut the potatoes into large chunks. Dice the squash into 2-3 cm pieces.
  3. In a large soup pot, sweat the onions for 2 minutes on medium heat in butter and olive oil. Then add the squash and continue to sweat for 10 more minutes with the lid on.
  4. Add the cold water. Then add the potatoes, bay leaf, and desired amount of salt and pepper to the pot.
  5. Cook over medium heat for 30-40 minutes until the vegetables are tender.
  6. Remove the bay leaf and blend until you have a smooth soup consistency. Add water, if it’s too thick.
  7. Strain through a sieve. Then, Add the hazelnut oil and season to taste.

Garnish

  1. Preheat the oven to 180C.
  2. Dice the squash to 1 cm pieces.
  3. Tear the bread into small pieces. Place the bread on a baking tray and sprinkle the bread with a pinch of salt and lightly sprinkle with some olive oil.
  4. Bake the croutons in the oven for approx. 5 minutes at 180C, until golden. Then remove from the oven and set aside.
  5. Place the pumpkin seeds and pine nuts on a tray. Roast around 2 minutes at 180C. Set aside.
  6. Place the hazelnuts on a tray and roast for 2-4 minutes. Rub them to take off the skin. Crush the hazelnuts and mix them with the pumpkin seeds and pine nuts.
  7. Whisk the crème fraîche and add the hazelnut oil until blended and a nice consistency. Reserve in the refrigerator.
  8. Select a few nice leaves of parsley.
  9. In a pan, stir fry the squash over medium heat until there is a nice coloration and it is soft inside.

Dressing the Dish

  1. In a soup bowl, place the croutons, nuts, cream, squash, and parsley as desired.
  2. Served the dishes. Then pour the hot soup over the garnish. Bon appétit!

 

NOTE

  1. An additional 40 minutes to cook the soup.