The recipe called for roasting sugar pumpkins or any winter squash and a head of garlic together, then puréeing the flesh of the two together with stock. It sounded too simple to be good, but Sally has never steered me wrong, so I made it and was astonished by its flavor. After puréeing the soup, Sally suggests stirring in a few tablespoons of heavy cream or crème fraîche, which I did, but I wouldn’t have missed this final enrichment had I not. What was going on here? Why was it so good? For two reasons, I think. Time, for one: during the 40 to 60 minutes in the oven, the flavors of both the squash and the garlic intensify. As they roast, they sweeten and soften, emerging meltingly tender with caramelized edges. And second, the stock. Sally suggests using chicken stock, but I used vegetable stock, which, if you have never made, I can’t recommend enough: it takes no time to throw together, simmers for only 45 minutes, and tastes complex and rich upon completion. I made the stock while the squash and garlic roasted. Upon being blended, the roasted vegetables transform into the silkiest purée, needing nothing more than a pinch of salt, a few twists of pepper, and, of course, a loaf of bread for dunking.
How to Make Roasted Butternut Squash and Garlic Soup, Step by Step
Gather your ingredients: garlic and butternut squash.
To prep the squash, halve it, and scoop out the seeds. To prep the garlic, cut the head in half crosswise (through the equator).
Rub the squash with a drizzle of olive oil. For the garlic, drizzle a small amount of oil on the sheet pan, and rub the halved head of garlic in it, cut side down. You only need one head of garlic for this recipe, but I recommend roasting more so that you have those buttery soft cloves on hand to spread over olive oil-toasted slices of bread.
Roast for 1 hour, checking after 40 minutes — you’ll want to remove the garlic at the 40-minute mark if it’s looking caramelized and delicious.
The squash, at the solid end (not the hollowed-out end), should be very knife-tender.
The garlic should be caramelized at the edges and knife-tender as well… some of these are overdone.
You also need stock. This vegetable stock will materialize in the time your squash and garlic roast away in the oven, and if you haven’t yet made it, you will be blown away by its flavor. Promise.
After 45 minutes of simmering, drain the stock…
… and transfer it to storage containers. (I love these deli quart containers). You will have two quarts of stock.
Scoop out the flesh of the squash and the cloves from 1 head of garlic and place them in a pot. Add 1 quart of stock.
Bring to a simmer, the purée until smooth.
At this point, taste for salt and pepper. I consistently add 1 to 1.5 teaspoons of Diamond Crystal kosher salt, but, of course, you should add salt to taste. I am astonished by how tasty it is at this point, but even so, I do add the recommended 3 tablespoons of heavy cream or crème fraîche.
Whisk or stir to incorporate, then taste and adjust as needed with more salt and pepper to taste.
Serve as you wish…
If you’re feeling up for it, you could top the soup with frizzled sage leaves and olive oil-toasted bread…
… but, real talk: bread of some sort is all you need. Peasant bread is never a bad idea…
… neither is olive oil-toasted croutons: to make these, simply heat up some extra-virgin olive oil in a skillet stovetop, add torn bread cubes, season with salt, and cook for about 2 minutes or until the cubes are golden at the edges.
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Notes:
You need 1 whole head/bulb of garlic for this recipe — not a single clove.
