Velvety, radiant, and hearty, this autumn/winter soup will tantalize everyone but dedicated winter squash haters. Plus, serving soup in cute little cups is a simple delight that will wow the crowd.

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Prep Time: 1

Cook Time: 2

Total Time: 3

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Serves 20 people

Ingredients

Stock:

3 T olive oil
3 cloves garlic peeled and lightly crushed
1 medium yellow onion peeled and roughly chopped into 1-inch pieces
4 carrots peeled and chopped into one-inch pieces
4 celery stalks chopped into one-inch pieces
1/2 lb cremini or white mushrooms stems trimmed and sliced in half
1 tsp dried parsley
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp whole black peppercorns
1 tsp kosher salt

Soup:

5 T olive oil
6 lbs butternut or other winter squash two large butternuts
3 cloves garlic peeled and minced
1 medium yellow onion peeled, halved, and sliced into 1/8″ thick slices
4 ripe pears peeled, cored, and chopped into 1/4″ slices
2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper

Optional for serving

1 cup crème fraîche

Instructions

Preheat oven to 450°F and line a sheet pan with aluminum foil or parchment paper.

Make the stock:

Heat 3T of the olive oil in a large (5-6 quart) soup pot over medium-high heat. Saute garlic briefly, then add the chopped onions, carrots, celery, and mushrooms. Heat through for about five minutes, then add 8 cups cold water. Add parsley, thyme, peppercorns, and salt, and bring to a boil. Once it boils, reduce heat, cover and let simmer for 1 hour.
While the stock is simmering, roast the squash. Cut squash in half lengthwise and scoop out seeds. Brush 2T of the olive oil on the cut sides and place the halves cut side down on the lined sheet pan. Roast for about 45 minutes to an hour, until a knife goes easily through the skin and the flesh is soft. Remove from the oven, flip the halves over, and scoop out the cooked flesh into a large bowl. Set aside.
When the stock is done simmering, strain out the cooked vegetables, herbs, and spices, and then strain again through paper towels to remove any remaining loose pieces. You should end up with about 6 cups of stock. Reserve stock in a large bowl and clean out the soup pot.

Make the soup:

Heat the remaining 3T olive oil in the soup pot over medium-high heat. Saute minced garlic and sliced onions until the onions turn translucent. Add the squash, pears, salt and pepper to the garlic and onions and heat through. Add 4 cups of the stock and let come to a boil, then simmer for 30 minutes, until pears and squash are very soft.
Blend the soup on high until smooth, in batches if necessary, and return the blended soup to the soup pot. Add more stock as necessary to get a thick, velvety consistency. Add salt and ground black pepper to taste.
Store in an airtight container until ready to bring to the party. You can make this soup ahead and refrigerate for 1-2 days. It’s ideal to serve it warm; you can either bring it fresh or reheat before bringing, or microwave or warm on the stovetop at the party location if possible.

Serving:

Bring a ladle and 20-30 5oz paper cups that can handle hot liquids. Decorative Dixie cups are perfect for this. Fill each cup about 2/3 — you should have about 20 servings. Have the crème fraîche available nearby with a spoon. No spoons necessary for the soup!

Nutrition

Butternut squash and pear soup