Name: Winter Squash Soup with Gruyère
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 80 min
Total time: 100 min
Ingredients: seeds and membrane from the winter squash; 2 carrots (diced); 3 celery ribs (diced); 1 medium onion (diced); 1 bay leaf; 6 leaves fresh sage; handful fresh parsley; 3 fresh thyme branches; 8 cups water; 1 pumpkin or winter squash (weighing 2 1/2 to 3 pounds); 3 tablespoons butter; 1 medium onion (finely chopped); 6 to 7 cups stock ((recipe above)); 1/4 cup heavy cream; 3 ounces Gruyère (shredded); salt and freshly ground black pepper

Gluten Free Vegetarian

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I was tempted to call this Winter Squash Soup 'Pottimaron squash and Gruyère soup' but thought that, like me, you may never have heard of that squash variety. And it isn't crucial anyway; you can use any winter squash that you like or have on hand. But if you happen upon a Pottimaron, snatch it up because it's perfect for this.

Winter Squash Soup served in a white bowl

That's one of the things I love about having a CSA share. I'm introduced to new-to-me fruits and vegetables and get to learn what to do with them. I also appreciate the weekly farm newsletter we get, with a list of what our share will include and a recipe or two. This winter squash soup is a loosely adapted from one of them.

Pair With

Savory Scones (With gruyere cheese and chives, these flaky, tender scones make the perfect pair for soup.)
Lavosh Crackers (Simple homemade crackers that are perfectly crisp!)

How to Make Winter Squash Soup:

It's a three step process, all of them simple: first you'll make the stock from what you scrape from the squash and several aromatics; next you'll roast the squash while the stock simmers; then to finish, you'll combine everything together (plus some cream and cheese).

The method for making the vegetable stock was new to me, but I love it. The seeds and strings infuse a subtle, nutty flavor. That coupled with the rich, buttery flavor of Gruyère and cream make for a spectacular soup.

On occasion, I'll puree a soup, but generally I like it to have some texture. Once the Potimarron squash was roasted, the flesh fell apart easily so I didn't blend this soup at all. If you use a firmer squash, like a butternut, you may want to puree the soup with an immersion blender or in batches with a standard blender (as with this Tomato Bisque, this Tuscan White Bean Soup and this Delicata Squash Soup). Remember, with a standard blender, not to put the lid over hot liquids and try to blend. The hot liquid will explode out (experience speaking). Instead, cover the top with a towel.