Easy Butternut Squash Soup with Crispy Sage Leaves
- Serves: 6
YouTube star and cookbook author Laura Vitale gives the classic fall soup a fragrant twist with crispy sage leaves from her book, "Laura in the Kitchen."
Ingredients:
- 4 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
- 6 cups (1-inch) cubed peeled butternut squash
- 1 large yellow onion, coarsely chopped
- 2 ribs celery, coarsely chopped
- 1 carrot, coarsely chopped
- 1 large Granny Smith apple, peeled and coarsely chopped
- 1 teaspoon ancho chile powder
- 6 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
- 1 teaspoon dried sage
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream
- 8 fresh sage leaves, rolled together and cut into thin strips
Directions:
- In a large soup pot, heat 2 1/2 tablespoons of the oil over medium-high heat until hot. Add the squash, onion, celery, carrot, and apple and sauté until the vegetables are golden, 10 to 12 minutes. Add the chile powder and a small pinch of salt and cook for 30 seconds longer.
- Add the broth and dried sage. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until the squash is very soft, about 40 minutes.
- Working in batches, use a standard blender or food processor to make a smooth purée. (Alternatively, use an immersion blender right in the pot.)
- Add salt and pepper to taste. Stir in the cream. Cover the soup and set aside off the heat.
- Line a plate with paper towels. Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a small skillet until very hot. (When you drop in a sliver of sage leaf it should quickly sizzle and brown.) Add the sage all at once and cook, moving it around with a heat-proof spoon, until it turns brown and crispy, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer the sage to the plate to drain.
- To serve, ladle the hot soup into bowls and top with the crispy sage leaves.
