If you love having butternut squash, then you need try it in a soup topped with fried sage leaves and pita chips… yum.
It’s light, refreshing… I made this soup sometime ago, but have not had the chance to post it. I apologize for the delay.
This is a Jamie Oliver recipe and you can find the original posting on Food Network’s site by clicking here. I made some changes in the ingredients based on my own taste buds. I added cumin, lime and of course more garlic. I also made chips out of pita instead of ciabatta bread since that is what I had at home.
Here is the recipe if you are up to making some soup for yourself:
Recipe:
Ingredients:
Soup:
- Olive oil
- 20 fresh sage leaves (make sure they are washed and dried well)
- 2 red onions, peeled and chopped
- 2 sticks celery, trimmed and chopped
- 2 carrots, peeled and chopped
- 6 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
- 1 sprig fresh rosemary, leaves picked and chopped
- 2 tsp of red chili flakes
- 2 tbsp cumin
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 4 1/4 pounds butternut squash
- 1 quart good-quality Chicken broth or Vegetable broth
- 1 quart water
- Extra-virgin olive oil
For the croutons:
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- 4 wheat pita bread rounds
- 1 chunk Parmesan, for grating
Directions:
Preheat oven at 425 degrees:
(Directions are taken from original recipe with some minor changes)
Put a very large saucepan on a medium heat and pour in a couple of glugs of olive oil.
Add the sage leaves and fry for around 30 seconds or until dark green and crisp. Quickly remove them with a slotted spoon to a bowl lined with paper towels – you’ll use these for sprinkling over at the end. In the pan you’ll be left with a beautifully flavored oil, so put it back on the heat and throw in your onion, celery, carrot, garlic, rosemary leaves, chile, cumin and a good pinch of salt and pepper. Cook gently for about 10 minutes until the vegetables are sweet and soft. Add the squash and the stock to the pan, bring to the boil and simmer for around 30 minutes.
While the soup is cooking, make your croutons. Drizzle a little olive oil over the pita slices, and press some grated Parmesan onto each side. Place in a baking tray without any oil and let it bake for about 10 minutes or when it seems toasty.
When the squash is soft and cooked through, whiz the soup with an immersion blender or pour it into a standard blender and pulse until you have a smooth puree* (but you can leave it slightly chunky if you like). Squirt some lime juice if you enjoy the citrus flavor. Most importantly, remember to taste and season it until it’s perfect. Divide the soup between your bowls, break pieces of pitas and place on top of each bowl. Sprinkle with a few of your crispy sage leaves and drizzle with a swirl of good-quality extra-virgin olive oil.
*When blending hot liquids: Remove liquid from the heat and allow to cool for at least 5 minutes. Transfer liquid to a blender or food processor and fill it no more than halfway. If using a blender, release one corner of the lid. This prevents the vacuum effect that creates heat explosions. Place a towel over the top of the machine, pulse a few times then process on high speed until smooth.
