Roasted Squash, Pear, and Ginger Soup

From the book Vegetable Soups From Deborah Madison’s Kitchen by Deborah Madison

Introduction

This fall soup is like putting on the first sweater of the season: it just feels so good. Although the soup takes several steps — roasting the squash and pears (which can be done a day ahead of time), cooking them, and finally puréeing the soup — none involve much from you. It’s an easily made soup that will keep well for days — a great possibility for a holiday meal.

Ingredients

Steps

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
2. Roast the squash and the pears: Cut the squash in half, scrape out and reserve the seeds, then cut each half into thirds. Put the pieces in a large baking dish or roasting pan with the pears and all but a few slices of the ginger. Brush with oil, season with salt, and bake until fragrant and tender, about 1 hour. Turn the pieces once or twice so that they have a chance to caramelize on more than one surface. If the squash seems very dry (some varieties are), add 1 cup water to the pan to create steam and cover with foil.
3. When the squash is tender, transfer everything from the pan to a cutting board, add 1 cup water to the pan, and scrape to dissolve the juices, reserving the liquid. Scrape the flesh of the squash away from the skins. You should have about 2 cups of squash flesh.
4. Make the stock: Bring 6 cups water to a boil. Add the reserved seeds and, eventually, the squash skins, the remaining ginger, and ½ teaspoon salt. Lower the heat and simmer, covered, for 20 to 25 minutes.
5. Make the soup: Meanwhile, melt the butter or oil in a soup pot. Add the onion, give it a stir, and cook over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, until it begins to brown a bit and is fragrant, about 10 minutes. Add the pears, ginger, and squash, then the reserved deglazing water. Strain the stock into the pot. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer, covered, for 25 minutes. Cool briefly, then purée until smooth and pass through a food mill or strainer to ensure a silky texture.
6. To serve: Serve as is, or swirl in the crème fraîche or sour cream.

Notes

Variations:

Dice a pear or an apple, sprinkle with a little sugar, and caramelize in a little butter or oil. Use these “croutons” as a finishing touch.

Omit the ginger and add cooked wild rice to the finished soup.

Crisp thin strips of fresh ginger in oil or butter and add a cluster to each serving.

Related article: Soup season

This content is from the book Vegetable Soups From Deborah Madison’s Kitchen by Deborah Madison.