Butternut Squash and Ginger Soup

By Craig Bailey, “Fiddlehead Bistro,” Saranac Lake, NY

This vegan soup is great for a cold winter day with some crusty bread and a fire. It’s bright and hearty and warms from the inside. It can also be served chilled, but for me it’s all about warmth. 

To get the meaty undertone, browning the onions is a necessity. It gives a depth of flavor that mimics meat stock. Crystalized ginger adds a sweet bite and enhances the flavor of the fresh ginger. It is best pureed, but can be a coarse soup if you cut your vegetables finer. 

Ingredients

• 2.4 lbs (1100g) butternut squash (peeled and seeded*), coarsely chopped
• 2 (600g) large onions, coarsely chopped
• 2 (20g) cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 tbsp (30g) fresh ginger, coarsely chopped
• ¾ cup (100g) crystalized ginger 
• Salt

In a sachet:

• 2 tsp (5g) coriander seed
• 1 tsp (3g) whole black pepper
• 4 sprigs fresh or 1 tsp (1g) dried thyme
• 1 (3g) stick cinnamon 
• 2 bay leaves

For garnish:

• Toasted pepitas
• Pumpkin seed or sesame oil
• Chopped fresh parsley

Directions

• In a 6-quart pot cook the onion, stirring occasionally, until it gets to be a consistent brown. You can add a little water as they brown to even out the brown. Add garlic and ginger and sweat. 
• Add all the other ingredients, 5 pints of water, and a teaspoon of salt (you will salt to taste at the end also). Boil until the squash is very soft. Remove the sachet and discard. 
• With either a stick blender or a tabletop blender, puree the soup in small batches (I prefer the tabletop as it gives a smoother grind). 
• If the soup seems to thin, reduce over medium heat to get to the desired thickness; if it’s too thick, add water. Add salt to taste. 
• Toast the pepitas or squash seeds at 325° until lightly brown. Salt immediately before they cool off. 
• Place a portion of soup in a bowl and sprinkle pepitas or toasted squash seeds and some parsley and drizzle a little seed oil. As mentioned, crusty bread drizzled in olive oil works very well also. 
• Enjoy.

* You can toast and peel the seeds for garnish instead of the pepitas.