Chip’s favorite recipe for butternut squash soup

The color of the leaves behind our home tells me it’s butternut squash season. In addition to the buttery-orangey leaves blowing around and landing on our deck, there was butternut squash-filled agnolotti in a whiskey cream sauce at the restaurant Chip's parents took me to on Saturday evening (I ended up opting for the chicken piccata since the restaurant was named Capers & Lemon and I figured I couldn't go wrong with the piccata sauce). The other day while shopping at Trader Joe's in Tysons Corner, there was butternut squash bisque and other various butternut squash products scattered throughout the refrigerated and freezer sections. When googling "what to cook for dinner on a fall evening" to plan a meal for myself, Sam and Stella earlier last week, recipes such as Butternut Squash Alfredo and Honey-Roasted Butternut Squash popped up.

Seeing butternut squash this or that in the last week or so got me thinking about one of my favorite recipes Chip made every fall: butternut squash soup with ginger and coconut milk. Recipes with Asian flavors always jumped out at Chip (I believe he was Asian in a previous life), and this recipe checked off all the boxes for a delicious lunch or supper on a chilly fall day. Served with crusty Italian or French bread, it reliably filled us up while also warming us from the inside out. Chip posted the recipe in his Evernote app on 11/12/2015, long before he had any of the horrible warning signs or symptoms of pancreatic cancer. But even after he was given his diagnosis, either he or I made this soup to comfort him when living life as fully as possible with cancer took a toll.

The recipe can easily be adjusted to individual taste. It can be made as spicy as desired with the addition of red pepper flakes. You can also consider substituting the melted butter with a bit of sesame oil (a little went a long way when we used it instead of butter) to brush on the squash before baking it for additional Asian flavor. I don't think the recipe would be the same using heavy cream instead of coconut milk (we always used coconut milk), but the option is there if you want it. Ingredients:

3 to 3 1/2 pounds butternut squash, approximately 2, seeded and quartered

Unsalted butter, melted, for brushing

1 tablespoon kosher salt, plus 1 teaspoon

1 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper, plus 1/2 teaspoon

3 cups chicken or vegetable broth

1/4 cup honey

1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger

1/2 cup heavy cream or coconut milk (or a combination of the two)

1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

red pepper flakes to taste (optional)

chopped scallions to garnish (optional)

Directions:

Heat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Place the quartered squash onto a half sheet pan, brush the flesh of the squash with a little butter and season with 1 tablespoon of the salt and 1 teaspoon of the white pepper. Place in the oven and roast for 30 to 35 minutes or until the flesh is soft and tender.

Scoop the flesh from the skin into a 6-quart pot. Add the broth, honey and ginger. Place over medium heat and bring to a simmer, approximately 7 to 8 minutes. Using a stick blender, puree the mixture until smooth*. Stir in the heavy cream and return to a low simmer. Season with the remaining salt, pepper, and nutmeg.

*When blending hot liquids: Remove liquid from the heat and allow to cool for at least 5 minutes. Transfer liquid to a blender or food processor and fill it no more than halfway. If using a blender, release one corner of the lid. This prevents the vacuum effect that creates heat explosions. Place a towel over the top of the machine, pulse a few times then process on high speed until smooth.