Anticiplate

Erik and I just got back from Santa Fe on tour with a couple of members of my ballet company. We had a  wonderful time, and ate TONS of delicious mexican food. However, I am going to need to go on a mexican cleanse for about a month. 

Erik and I also got the opportunity to eat at Cafe Pasqual’s (more on this later). It is a James Beard Award winning restaurant that ironically my Mother had told me about six years ago when she vacationed in Santa Fe. She even bought me a cookbook, but at that time, I was definitely not into cooking. My response was probably, “Thanks Mom”, with one of the plastered grins. But, who knew that she gave me a gift that I would find useful many years later? Now I have the famous Cafe Pasqual’s cookbook, and I plan to make many recipes from it now that I have been exposed to the restaurant. 

But, enough of Santa Fe. Yesterday was my first day back at work. Fall is in the air in Seattle, and I was just craving butternut squash soup. I made this recipe up as I went along, and it turned out spectacular. I can definitely see it for a first course of an elegant fall dinner. 

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 45 minutes

Serves 4 small bowls, or two large bowls

1 1/2 tbsp. salted butter

1 leek, white and green parts only, sliced thin

1 small sweet onion, diced

1 clove garlic, minced

Kosher salt

1 lb. butternut squash, chopped (I cheated and got it pre-chopped)

4 c. chicken stock 

1/2 c. half and half 

Cracked black pepper

Grated nutmeg

Sage leaves, lightly fried in olive oil until crisp

Pumpkin seeds, to garnish

In a large pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Add in the leek, onion, and garlic and season with salt. Saute, over medium-low heat until tender and translucent making sure not to brown the onion mixture. Add in butternut squash. Saute 4 minutes until coated with butter. Add in chicken stock and cover. Bring to a boil. 

Once soup is boiling, lower it to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes or until squash is fork tender. 

In a food processor, add in the squash mixture and pulse until smooth. Return back to the soup pot. Add in the half and half and season with salt and pepper and nutmeg if needed. *

To serve, ladle into bowls and top with pumpkin seeds and fried sage leaf. 

*Can be made 1 day ahead, cooled, and reheated.