Usually Autumn is a season that fills me with hope, a time of golden light, of doors opening on new beginnings, and of joyful anticipation as we look forward to the winter holidays. But this one has been dark, a season of endings, sadness, and anxiety, of doors not just closed but slammed in our faces. We've needed comfort in large, hefty doses, and while it's been tempting, not all those doses could take the form of ice cream and bourbon.
Yesterday's comfort came in the form of a velvety butternut squash and leek puree. Of all the winter squash, butternuts produce perhaps the richest and silkiest purees. They feel and taste indulgent and yet aren't heavy. This soup has long been a favorite in our house, and this week it proved to be a welcome antidote to anxiety and shock.
Yes, I know what St. John has said about fear: that there is no fear in love, so if we're afraid, it's because our love is imperfect. But we're imperfect by nature; most of us spend our whole lives trying to achieve the ideal love he meant. And in the meantime, soup makes up for a lot. This one didn't make anything better, but it did give us the strength to get up and do something about it.
Butternut Squash and Leek Puree
These hard, hefty squash can be a challenge to cut into. The flesh in the neck is dense and thick and a real challenge for cooks who aren't terribly strong. But with a couple of tricks you can get them whittled down to size. First peel the entire squash, getting all the way through the tough outer skin and milky-pale layer just below it. I find a Y-shaped peeler works best for this. Next, push the point of a very sharp cook's knife through the base of the "neck" where it meets with the fat body's seed cavity. This is its weakest spot and a starter cut will make it much easier to cut through and separate the neck.
Serves 4
2 medium leeks
1 medium yellow onion
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Salt
1 medium (1½ pound) butternut squash
4 cups rich chicken broth, preferably homemade
1 sprig each fresh parsley and sage
1 bay leaf
Whole black pepper in a mill
Whole nutmeg in a grater
Buttered Croutons, Cornbread sticks, or a crusty baguette
1. Prepare the leeks and onion as follows: Take off a couple of the dryer outer layers of the leeks and trim off the dark green leaves and roots. Lay each one on a cutting board and starting at the root end with a sharp knife held parallel to the board, cut it horizontally in half. Holding each half under cold running water, bend back the layers and wash away any dirt and grit. Drain them well and slice them crosswise. You should have about 2 cups. Set them aside. Trim the root and stem ends of the onion and cut it in half vertically. Peel and slice each half.
2. Put the butter, onion, and leek in a 3½ quart heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium low heat. Lightly sprinkle in a pinch or so of salt, loosely cover, and let the leeks and onion sweat gently until they're wilted and softened but not in the least colored, about 8-10 minutes. Check the pot every now and again and give its contents a stir to make sure the vegetables don't scorch.
3. Meanwhile, peel the squash with a vegetable peeler (preferably Y-shaped), getting all the way through to the darker orange flesh. You may have to go over it twice with the peeler. Lay it flat on its side on a cutting board. Cut off the stem and blossom ends, then right at the point that the fat body meets with the neck, pierce all the way through it with a sharp cook's knife. Remove the knife, then lay it against the pierced spot and slice down through it to separate the neck from the fat body. Lay the body flat on it's cut end and cut it in half. Scoop out and discard the seeds and cut the flesh into cubes. Carefully cut the neck crosswise into rounds and then cut each round into large dice. Add the cut squash to the leeks and onions.
4. Gently toss until the squash is warmed and add the broth, parsley, sage, bay leaf, a light pinch of salt, and a few grindings of pepper. Raise the heat to medium high and bring it to a boil, then adjust the heat to a steady simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until the squash is very tender, about 12-15 minutes. Remove it from the heat and let it cool. Remove and discard the herbs and bay leaf, then puree the soup in batches in a blender or with a hand-held stick blender until it is quite smooth. The soup can be made a day ahead. Cover and refrigerate until needed.
5. To serve the soup, gently reheat it over medium low heat, stirring occasionally, until it's hot through. Ladle it into warm serving bowls and grate a little nutmeg over each serving. Serve hot with croutons, cornsticks, or whatever bread suits your fancy.