Every week on the Good Food Blog we celebrate Meatless Monday by sharing a vegetarian recipe from our archives.
Jean Francois Meteigner was the chef-owner of La Cachette. He first shared this recipe for Butternut Squash and Corn Soup on October 22, 2005.
Butternut Squash and Corn Soup
Serves 8
- 2 Tablespoons grapeseed, canola, or light olive oil
- 1 large onion, coarsely chopped
- 1 leek, white and light green part only, coarsely chopped and thoroughly rinsed in a colander
- 2 lbs butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks (see Tip below)
- 3 cups corn kernels (from 5 to 6 ears of corn)
- Fine sea salt
- 7 cups chicken or vegetable stock
- 1 Tablespoon finely snipped chives, for serving
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Place a large saucepan over medium heat and add the oil. Add the onion and leek and saut- for 5 minutes, until softened but not browned. Add the squash and corn, and saut- for 10 minutes more. Add 1 teaspoon salt and the stock. Bring to a boil over high heat, then lower the heat and simmer for about 45 minutes, uncovered, until completely tender.
- Let the soup stand off the heat for 15 minutes. Remove about one-third of the stock with a ladle, and reserve. Puree the stock in a blender in batches, filling the container only halfway and holding the top on securely with a folded towel. (Always start blending hot mixtures at the lowest speed and increase the speed gradually). Strain through a medium conical sieve into a clean saucepan, pressing hard to extract all the flavor, leaving the corn skins behind. Taste for seasoning and adjust the consistency by returning a little of the reserved stock to the soup, if desired (any stock you do not use for the soup may be frozen for future soups and sauces).
- Ladle into bowls and sprinkle with a few chives and a turn or two of the pepper-mill.
Tip: The skin on butternut squash is very tough and very thick; use a sharp vegetable peeler and peel each squash twice to be sure you remove every last scrap of skin.