Published November 1, 2001.
The secret to great butternut squash soup is to sauté the seeds and fibers to build flavor, add water, then steam the flesh over the flavorful liquid.
Many butternut squash soup recipes obscure the squash's pure flavor and color with an overabundance of chicken stock, heavy cream, or spices.
To preserve true squash flavor and deliver a silky smooth, gloriously orange soup.
Sauté shallots and butter with reserved squash seeds and fibers, simmer with water, then use the liquid to steam the unpeeled squash (thereby avoiding the difficult task of peeling raw squash). Peel squash when cooled, then puree with the reserved steaming liquid for a perfectly smooth texture. Finally, enrich the soup with a splash of heavy cream.
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