Velouté de potiron
Butternut Squash Velouté
A bright orange, naturally sweet soup for fall. Butternut squash is the easiest to peel, but a sugar pie pumpkin or kabocha works just as well.
Equipment: Large pot, immersion blender
Contains: milk, wheat (croutons). Always check the labels of store-bought ingredients.
Ingredients
- 1 butternut squash (about 2 1/2 lb / 1.1 kg), or 2 lb (900 g) peeled and cubed
- 1/2 yellow onion
- 2 tablespoons (30 g) unsalted butter
- 3 cups chicken or vegetable broth, homemade (see Homemade Broth) or store-bought low-sodium
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 pinch ground nutmeg
- Fine sea salt and black pepper
- 1/4 cup heavy cream, for serving
- 1 cup croutons (see Croutons)
Instructions
- Peel the squash with a vegetable peeler, halve it and scoop out the seeds. Cut into 1-inch cubes. Thinly slice the onion.
- Melt the butter in the pot over medium heat and cook the onion for 3 to 4 minutes, until soft.
- Add the squash and broth. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, until the squash is very tender.
- Remove the pot from the heat and purée with an immersion blender until very smooth (using a countertop blender? Read Blending Hot Soup Safely first).
- Stir in the milk and warm over low heat. Season with nutmeg, salt and pepper. Serve with a swirl of cream and the croutons.
Olivier's tip
Squash is sweet, so do not be shy with the salt: it brings the soup into balance. Shortcut: many stores sell peeled, cubed butternut squash.
A word from Paris
In the French version of Cinderella, written by Charles Perrault in 1697, the fairy godmother turns a “citrouille”, a pumpkin, into a golden carriage. In October, Paris markets are piled high with squashes that look ready for the job.
French word of the day
velouté
vuh-loo-TAY
a velvety soup (from “velours”, velvet)
