Smitten Kitchen: Winter Squash Soup with Gruyere Croutons

Today was a nippy, brisk fall day... in fact, let's go all out and say it was cold (in the south, 60 degrees means it's time to break out the sweaters). In any case, I felt justified in making soup.

This soup was introduced to me by Karyn from the amazing Smitten Kitchen website, where the photos are almost as delicious as the food. The soup is rich and has a bite that is pleasantly unexpected from something that looks a little like baby food. The little floating islands of gruyere and thyme "croutons" really top it off, both literally and metaphorically. Ladling out the soup and launching the croutons on their maiden voyages before calling everyone to dinner is the key to getting the wow factor (and disguising the fact that it's glorified squash puree). You can find the original recipe here. This is my version (I only omitted sage from the original recipe because we were out of it, but I'm sure it would be tasty).

Winter Squash Soup with Gruyere Croutons
Adapted from Smitten Kitchen adapted from Bon Appétit, December 1996

Serves 8

Soup

• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
• 1 yellow onion, finely chopped
• 4 large garlic cloves, chopped
• About 43 ounces chicken broth/stock
• 1 peeled butternut squash cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 peeled acorn squash cut into 1-inch pieces*
• 1 1/4 teaspoons minced fresh thyme (dried also works in a pinch)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/8 cup whipping cream

*Peeling an acorn squash is a time-consuming business, so plan accordingly. My method  involves hacking and chipping off the peel with a sharp paring knife, as a vegetable peeler can't get into all the crevices. I imagine there is probably a more sophisticated way to go about this, and if anyone discovers it, please tell me.

Croutons

• 2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter
• 24 1/4-inch-thick baguette bread slices
• 1 cup grated Gruyere cheese
• 1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme

For soup: Melt butter in large pot over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and sauté until tender, about 10 minutes. Add broth, all squash and herbs; bring to boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until squash is very tender, about 20 minutes.

Working in batches, puree soup in blender. Return soup to same pot. Stir in cream and bring to simmer. Season with salt and pepper. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Chill. Rewarm over medium heat before serving.)

For croutons: Preheat broiler. Butter 1 side of each bread slice. Arrange bread, buttered side up, on baking sheet. Broil until golden, about 1 minute. Turn over. Sprinkle cheese, then thyme, over. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Broil until cheese melts, about 1 minute. Ladle soup into bowls. Top each with croutons and serve.

 Bonus: This salad makes an excellent pairing with the soup. Very autumnal, and thyme makes yet another appearance.

Pear and Walnut Salad
Adapted from The Bon Appétit Fast Easy Fresh Cookbook, "Pear and Curly Endive Salad"

Serves 4

Salad

• 1/2-3/4 cup walnuts
• 1 ripe pear
• Lettuce (I used romaine, but a spring mix might be even nicer)

Dressing

• 4 tsp red wine vinegar
• 2 tsp Dijon mustard
• 6 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme

Whisk vinegar and mustard in small bowl. Whisk in oil 2 tbsp at a time. Mix in thyme. Season dressing with salt and pepper.

Pop the walnuts in a toaster oven or under the broiler in the oven for 5-10 minutes, or until they look toasted but not burnt and smell rather nice; when toasted, coarsely chop. Meanwhile, cut the pear lengthwise into quarters of eighths, core it, and then slice across the width to get little triangles. Combine the lettuce, pear, and walnuts in a salad bowl; add the dressing and toss.