<back

Winter squash puree with wild mushrooms, croutons and sage

Most puree soups fit a simple template: soften the primary ingredient, mix it with some onion family member(s), simmer the mix in stock or water and puree. Straining is chef’s choice as is the addition of cream. In this version of squash soup, a mixture of squash is roasted in the oven with garlic and sage. Meanwhile, diced onions are simmered in butter with a little chili and more sage. The squash pulp, onion and garlic moistened with white wine and thinned out with chicken stock. The mixture is simmered, pureed, passed through a fine sieve and enriched with cream. The fancy part of the soup is the garnish: croutons, a mix of wild mushrooms and fried sage. This trio can be served in a hot bowl at your table and then the soup can be poured over- an effect that is both snazzy and practical. By pouring the soup right before service, the garnish stays crisp and fresh. Plus, your guests can admire your knife cuts or the staggering variety of mushrooms in your soup. This puree will serve at least 12. Freeze the soup before you add cream if you like. It will keep in the fridge for 3-4 days easy.

Ingredients:
2, 3 squash, halved and seeded
10 cloves of garlic
3 onions, minced
1 cup white wine
1 quart of chicken stock, or veg stock or water
(Swanson’s reduced sodium is my favorite canned broth)
30 sage leaves
2 pounds assorted mushrooms
some stale bread with a good sturdy crumb
a pinch of chili flakes
salt and pepper
olive oil
butter
cream
lemons

Method:
Season the squash halves with salt and pepper and place each half, cut side down, over 2 garlic cloves and 3 sage leaves. Roast in a 350 degree oven until they’re squishy (40 minutes-1 and a half hours). Meanwhile, sauté the three minced onions in 3 tablespoons of butter with three minced garlic cloves, three sage leaves, a pinch of chili flakes and salt and pepper. Soften the onions, but don’t brown them (15 minutes on low heat). When the squash is soft and cool enough to handle, scoop it from the shells into the onion mixture, along with the garlic and sage from the cavities. Add the wine and bring the heat to high. Reduce the wine for a minute then add the stock and bring the mixture to a simmer. Simmer the whole mess for 10 minutes and turn off the soup. Either cool the soup now or proceed with caution when you puree. Working in small batches, puree the soup in a blender and transfer it to a clean pot. Keep the lid on the blender tightly or the escaping steam could send hot soup into your face. Now choices: strain? Cream? Seasoning? I like to add some cream, pass the mix through a sieve and adjust the seasoning with salt and lemon juice. Do whatever you like.

The garnish:
Frying sage is easy. Put a cup of canola oil in a little narrow pot with high sides. Turn the heat on and test the temp with the corner of a sage leaf. When the leaf sizzles, add 5 or six and fry quickly until the sizzling subsides and the leaves are a little translucent. Remove them to a paper towel and season with salt.

The mushrooms should be clean and of uniform sizes. Toss them with a little olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast them in a hot oven (450) until they are golden and there is no liquid in the pan. If you’re nutty, roast them all separately (That’s what we do at the Rot).

The croutons can be diced or torn. Treat them just like the mushrooms with olive oil, salt and pepper. They will tolerate 450, but prefer 350. Watch them carefully.