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Winter Squash Soup

Winter Squash Soup
3 from 22 ratings
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With their brilliant orange-colored flesh, winter squashes are the kings of winter vegetables. Whether roasted, pan-sautéed, cooked in soups or stews, or puréed, they’re delicately flavorful and imbue a lovely sweetness. This recipe starts with a white wine reduction which enhances the wonderful natural sweetness, but also brings a bit of tang to the soup. Topped with a swirl of the citrus-mint pesto, this soup has bright flavors and a silky-smooth texture, and is also gorgeous to look at. Click here to see 10 Vegetarian Recipes.
Servings
6
servings
Ingredients
  • 1 1/2 ounce italian parsley, tough stems removed
  • 8 sprig mint, stemmed
  • 1/4 teaspoon fennel seeds, ground coarsely with mortar and pestle
  • 1/4 teaspoon orange zest, grated with a microplane
  • 2 tablespoon pine nuts
  • 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
  • freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  • 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 3 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 medium-sized vidalia or spanish onion, quartered and cut crosswise into 1/8-inch-thick slices
  • 2 cloves garlic, chopped finely
  • 1 cup dry white wine
  • 3 pound winter squash (such as butternut squash, kabocha, or sugar pumpkin), peeled, seeded, and cut into 1-inch chunks
  • 2 1/2 cup vegetable stock
  • 3 cup water, plus more as needed
  • 1 1/4 teaspoon sea salt, or to taste
  • freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  • 2 tablespoon fresh orange juice
Directions
  1. Place all of the ingredients in the bowl of a food processor and process until very smooth, for 1-2 minutes, scraping the sides of the bowl once or twice. Transfer to a small bowl and set aside.
  2. Heat a large heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil and onion and sauté for 5-6 minutes until golden, stirring from time to time. Add the garlic and wine. Stir well and continue to sauté for 3-4 minutes, until the wine has evaporated and glazed the onions. Add the squash chunks, vegetable stock, water, salt, and pepper. Bring the soup to a boil and then simmer, covered, for 30-35 minutes, until the squash is very tender.
  3. Add the orange juice and purée the soup with an immersion blender or food processor until silky-smooth. Thin the soup with water to the desired consistency. Adjust the seasoning, if needed. Remove from heat and set aside.
  4. Ladle the soup into soup bowls. Place a spoonful of the pesto in the center of each bowl and serve immediately.
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