Sweet Butternut Soup with Thyme CrÈme Fraiche
Serves 6

One Fall day I got a call at the Dahlia from my father-in-law in Spokane telling me that he had a whole garden full of butternut squash that I could come and get for our newly-opened restaurant. When I said that 300 miles seemed a long way to drive for a couple of baskets of squash, there was a pause. ‘I got a bit more than a couple of baskets here,’ he said. ‘Better bring a truck.’ I got the point, rented a truck, and drove over the Cascades and down the desert highway dodging tumbleweeds all the way to Spokane. We then proceeded to load up the truck with more squash than I had ever seen in one place. And it wasn’t just butternut. There was acorn, hubbard, spaghetti, delicatta, etc.

This was the Fall we got creative with squash – for months we cooked and served that squash every which way we could think of – sautéed, baked, pureed, hashed, in fritters and beignets and pies and tarts, and we made lots and lots of squash soup. The soup that follows was the most popular of all the dishes – and we serve it today, especially if my in-laws are in town for a visit.

3 ½ pounds butternut squash
olive oil for brushing squash
4 cups thinly sliced onions (about 2 medium onions)
1 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 cups homemade chicken stock
1 cup heavy cream
1 ½ teaspoons chopped fresh Italian parsley
½ teaspoon chopped fresh sage
½ teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
½ teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
1 teaspoon sherry vinegar
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Cut the squash in half and scoop out seeds. Brush the cut edges lightly with oil and place cut side down on a baking sheet. Roast the squash until very soft, about an hour and fifteen minutes. Remove from the oven. When cool enough to handle, scoop the squash meat from the skin. Set the squash aside.

While the squash is roasting, caramelize the onions. Melt the butter with oil in a large saute pan over medium-low heat. Add the onions and sauté slowly about 25 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally until onions are soft and uniformly golden brown. Set aside.

In a food processor, puree the squash, onions, and 1 cup of the chicken stock until smooth. Transfer the puree to a large pot. Add the remaining 2 cups of chicken stock and heat the soup to a simmer, whisking a few times. Add the cream, chopped herbs, and sherry vinegar. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve hot with a swirl of Thyme Crème Fraiche.

Thyme CrÈme Fraiche
Yields ½ cup

This slightly tart, herb-flavored cream is perfect with the sweet squash flavor of this soup. You can buy commercial crème fraiche, make your own) or use sour cream, if you prefer.

½ cup crème fraiche
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Mix all the ingredients in a small bowl and whisk until smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

On the Plate: Ladle the hot soup into bowls. To make a nice swirl pattern, fill a clean squeeze bottle and swirl Thyme Crème Fraiche over each bowl of soup or use a spoon to add a dollop of the crème fraiche to each bowl.

In the Glass: A good fruity Viognier from France or California.