Butternut Squash Soup with Cashew Cream
Yields: 6-8 servings
Time: 1 hour prep, 1 hour cook
It took me a long time to appreciate butternut squash. The texture freaked me out; the flavors were always just a little too sweet and lacking in umami. That all changed when I read Samin Nostrat’s Salt Fat Acid Heat. She taught me that each of those elements have to be balanced with each other. The addition of apple cider vinegar is what sent this soup to a new level. It’s amazing how just a few capfuls of an acid can liven the fat content and mellow the sweetness of the butternut squash. Top this with a spoonful of tangy cashew sour cream and you have a deep and rich soup that will warm you from in the inside out on a chilly fall day.
Soup Ingredients:
1 large butternut squash
1 large sweet potato
Unsalted butter
Carrot
White onion
Celery
Garlic
Kosher salt
Black pepper
Sage
Rosemary
Bay leaves
Paprika
Apple cider vinegar
Chicken stock
Cashew Cream Ingredients:
1 cup raw cashews
Boiling water
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1 garlic clove
Kosher salt
Special Equipment:
High-power blender
Emersion (stick) blender
Directions
Step One:
Soak cashews in 2 cups of boiling water for 1 hour.
Step Two:
Preheat oven to 400º.
Step Three:
Slice butternut squash in half and season to taste with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Place squash flesh side down on a greased roasting pan and roast for 45 minutes.
Step Four:
Peel and chop sweet potato into large cubes. Season to taste with olive oil, salt, and pepper. When squash has 30 minutes left to cook, add potatoes to same roasting pan and cook for the remaining 30 minutes.
Step Five:
While veggies are roasting, chop equal parts carrot, onion, and celery into 1/4 inch pieces (this is called a mirepoix). You want about one cup each. Melt a few tablespoons butter in a large pot over medium heat. Sauté mirepoix for 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Step Six:
Add 3-4 cloves of garlic, a few sprigs each of sage and rosemary to the pot as well as one bay leaf. Let herbs toast in mirepoix for 4-5 minutes. Add more butter if mixture seems dry.
Step Seven:
Sprinkle a generous helping of paprika into pot, stir to combine. Add in 2 capfuls of apple cider vinegar. Continue to cook veggies over a low flame until squash and potatoes are done.
Step Eight:
Remove bay leaf from pot. Add in squash and potatoes. Break apart slightly using a spatula. Cook until mixture begins to bubble.
Step Nine:
Use emersion blender to blend the soup. Add in chicken stock, 1/2 cup at a time, until desired thickness. One-and-a-half to two cups usually results in the best texture and thickness.
Step Ten:
Taste soup and adjust seasoning if needed. If it seems flat or too buttery, you can add in another capful of apple cider vinegar. Keep soup on a very low flame.
Step Eleven:
Drain cashews, but reserve the water. Place cashews in a high-power blender. Add in lemon juice and garlic. Pulse a few times to combine. Add in reserved water, 1/4 cup at a time, until texture resembles yogurt. Should be smooth yet thick and creamy. Season to taste with kosher salt. Cashew cream can be made 3-4 days beforehand.
Step Twelve:
To serve, ladle soup into individual bowls and top with 1-2 tablespoons of cashew cream.
On Cashew Cream
Cashew cream is a great substitute for making dairy-free cream sauces. My recipe, with lemon juice, recreates a sour cream. One of the most popular ways to use cashew cream is for vegan Alfredo sauce. Double this recipe, subtract the lemon juice, and use it as the base of the Alfredo. Heat cream in a large skillet and add a few tablespoons of nutritional yeast. The yeast is what will give you the cheesy flavor. Season to taste with more salt and pepper. Reserve a cup of pasta water once noodles are cooked. Add noodles to skillet and mix thoroughly, thin mixture with reserved pasta water if needed. That’s it!
You can also make this soup totally vegan! Just replace butter with olive oil and chicken broth for veggie broth!
