Butternut and Acorn Squash Soup

The original recipe found in the December 1996 issue of Bon Appétit magazine explains, “In France, this soup would be prepared with a baking pumpkin. A mixture of butternut and acorn squashes mimics the French pumpkin's exceptional taste and texture.” It's true; the flavor of the two squashes simmered together with fresh herbs produces a great soup. However, we won't lie; peeling and cutting the squash is a bit of a pain. To make things much easier, though slightly more expensive, you can purchase 8 cups of pre-cut and packaged butternut squash at Whole Foods (as much as we love Trader Joe's for many grocery items, we don't recommend their pre-cut, bagged squash) and omit the acorn squash. You might not end up with the aforementioned perfect French pumpkin flavor, but you will still have a satisfying and healthy winter soup. Alternatively, you could bake the acorn squash beforehand and scoop it out when it is tender (see baking instructions below).

Also, we omitted the sugar in the original recipe and substituted yogurt for whipping cream and we preferred both the taste difference and the health benefits. The croutons are a nice crunchy, salty addition, but we have served the soup without them when pressed for time.

Soup
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
1 large onion, finely chopped
4 large garlic cloves, chopped
5 1/2 cups low-salt chicken broth
4  cups 1-inch pieces peeled butternut squash (about 1 1/2 pounds)
4  cups 1-inch pieces peeled acorn squash (about 1 1/2 pounds)
1 1/2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme
1 1/2 teaspoons minced fresh sage

1/4  cup thick, 2% fat Greek yogurt

Croutons
2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter
24 1/4 inch-thick baguette bread slices
1 cup grated Gruyère cheese
1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme
1 teaspoon minced fresh sage

Melt butter in large pot over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and sauté until tender, about 10 minutes. Add broth, all squash and herbs; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until squash is very tender, about 20 minutes.

Turn off the heat and puree soup with a hand blender. (Alternatively, working in small batches and being careful not to fill the container too full, puree soup in the blender. Return soup to same pot.) Whisk in the yogurt and bring to simmer. Season with salt and pepper to taste. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Chill. Reheat over medium heat before serving.)

For croutons:

While soup is simmering, preheat broiler. Butter 1 side of each bread slice. Arrange bread, buttered side up, on baking sheet. Broil until golden, about 1 minute. Turn over. Sprinkle cheese, then thyme and sage over. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Broil until cheese melts, about 1 minute. Ladle soup into bowls. Top each with croutons and serve.

Variation: Baking acorn squash
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Halve squash and remove seeds.  Place cut side down on a baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes, or until tender.

Serves 8

Prep Time: 30 minutes to 45 minutes (if cutting and peeling squash yourself and making croutons)
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes