Chef John's Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

Chef John's butternut squash soup features roasted onions, carrots, and squash for deep, intense flavor, plus sage brown butter for an extra-rich taste!

• Preparation Time: 25 mins
• Cooking Time: 1 hr 55 mins
• Total Time: 2 hr 20 mins
• Calories: 315 Calories

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
• 1 cup sliced carrots
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives
• 1 pinch cayenne pepper
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup
• 1 chopped onion
• 1 (3 1/2) pound butternut squash, halved lengthwise and seeded
• 6 whole garlic cloves, peeled
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt, or to taste - divided
• 6 large sage leaves
• 6 cups chicken broth, plus more if needed
• 0.5 cup creme fraiche

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).

Step 2

Start the soup: Drizzle olive oil into large roasting pan. Add onion, carrots, garlic cloves, and a big pinch of salt; toss until vegetables are coated in oil. Place squash halves onto the chopped vegetables with the cut sides facing up. Sprinkle squash with additional salt.

Step 3

Roast in the preheated oven until squash is tender and easily pierced with the tip of a knife, about 1 hour. Remove from the oven and allow vegetables to cool a bit.

Step 4

While the vegetables are cooling, make the brown butter: Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. When butter foams and starts to turn golden brown, reduce the heat to low. When butter turns from golden to a light, nutty brown, remove from the heat and immediately stir in sage leaves.

Step 5

Finish the soup: Scoop out squash flesh and place into a large stockpot with remaining roasted vegetables. Stir in chicken broth, brown butter mixture, and maple syrup. Place the pot over high heat and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low and slowly simmer to blend flavors, 45 to 60 minutes. Remove from the heat.

Step 6

Blend with an immersion blender until very smooth, 3 to 4 minutes. Pass mixture through a strainer to remove any remaining fibrous bits.

Step 7

If soup seems too thick, add a few tablespoons of water or chicken broth. Stir in cider vinegar, a pinch of salt if needed, and cayenne pepper. Garnish each serving with a dollop of crème fraîche and chopped chives.