Recipe: Butternut Squash Velouté With a Spiced Cranberry Coulis
Ingredients
- For the soup
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 medium leeks, peeled and thinly sliced
- 2 celery stalks, thinly sliced
- 1 medium onion, peeled and thinly sliced
- Sachet of 2 flat-leaf parsley stems; 1 sprig thyme; 1 clove garlic, peeled; 1 cinnamon stick; and 3 cloves tied in cheesecloth
- Pinch of ground nutmeg
- Pinch of ground ginger
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
- 1 pound butternut squash, peeled, seeded, cut in 1-inch dice
- 2-1/2 quarts chicken or vegetable stock
- 3/4 cup heavy cream
- For the coulis
- 1 teaspoon grapeseed oil or other flavorless cooking oil
- 3 cups frozen cranberries
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- Small pinch of ground cinnamon
- Small pinch of ground nutmeg
- Small pinch of ground ginger
- Small pinch of ground clove
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
Preparation
For the soup
Warm the butter in a large pot over medium-low heat and add the leek, onion, celery, cheesecloth sachet, and ground spices, and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, for approximately 7 to 8 minutes or until the vegetables are translucent and tender but not browned. Add the squash, cook for 5 minutes more, and then add the chicken stock and cream. Bring to a boil, lower the heat and simmer for 30 minutes.
Discard the sachet and transfer the soup to a blender. Purée until smooth and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper if needed. Pass the soup through a fine-meshed sieve and set aside to cool. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until needed. Before serving, bring the soup to a boil. (The soup may be made a day in advance and stored in the refrigerator overnight.)
For the coulis
Warm the oil in a sauté pan over high heat and add the cranberries. Sauté, tossing frequently, until the cranberries become wrinkly and burst. Add the water, sugar, spices, salt and pepper, stir quickly to combine and immediately pass the cranberries through a fine-meshed sieve while hot. Set aside to cool and, if the mixture is too thick to drizzle, stir in a bit of water.
Serving
Ladle the hot soup into 8 warm serving bowls and drizzle the soup with the cranberry coulis.
Serving Size
Serves 8