Description
A creamy autumn soup packed with squash, leeks, and potatoes. It’s hearty and comforting, topped with crispy thyme croutons.
Ingredients
Scale
For the soup:
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 3 cups leeks, white and light green parts thinly sliced, cleaned, halved, and sliced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- pinch cayenne pepper
- 5 cups cubed, peeled and seeded butternut squash, about 1 medium (cut into 1″ chunks)
- 1 large russet potato, peeled, and cubed (about 1½ cups in 1″ chunks)
- bouquet garni (1 sprig thyme, 1 sprig flat leaf parsley, 6 peppercorns, & 1 bay leaf), optional*
- 6 cups low sodium vegetable stock (I used 4 cups vegetable stock and 2 cups water)*
- salt and pepper, to taste
- ¼ cup heavy cream, optional*
For the croutons:
- 1½ tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 teaspoons freshly chopped thyme (or 1 teaspoon dried
- 2 cups cubed baguette or French bread, cut into ½” cubes*
- salt, to taste
Instructions
- Heat the butter in a large soup pot over medium low heat. Add the leek and sauté until soft, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cayenne pepper and sauté 30 seconds. Add the squash and potato, and sauté 1 minute more. Add the bouquet garni and broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer for 20 minutes, or until the squash and potato are very tender. Remove from heat and discard the bouquet garni.
- Ladle half of the soup into a blender. Remove the center piece of the lid in order for the hot air to escape and cover partially with a dish towel. Puree until smooth and pour into a large bowl. Repeat with the other half of the soup. When finished, add the salt, pepper, and cream, if using. Add more salt and pepper if desired.
Prepare the croutons:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place the bread on a rimmed baking sheet and toss with the olive oil, thyme, and salt until well coated. Bake on the middle rack of the oven in a single layer, tossing halfway through, for about 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from the oven and cool slightly. Top the soup with croutons and extra cream for garnish, if desired, and enjoy!
Notes
*Bouquet garnis are a nice way to add extra flavor to soup. Wrap the ingredients in cheesecloth or the dark green top of the leek!
*Chicken stock or water may be substituted for the vegetable stock.
*Depending on how rich you like your soup, you can add the cream, half and half, or simply omit it and serve with a dollop of creme fraiche, sour cream, or Greek yogurt on a bowl by bowl basis. Soup should not be frozen once the cream is added.
*I used a 3½ ounce mini baguette for my croutons, which was the perfect size.
Use white pepper if you’d rather not see flecks of black pepper in your beautiful, golden hued soup!
- Category: Main, Side, Soup