Kabocha Squash And Fennel Soup With Crème Fraîche
Kabocha Squash And Fennel Soup With Crème Fraîche
Puréed soups don’t have to be boring. Here, candied pumpkin seeds yield a pleasant crunch with every bite, and the use of kabocha puts a fresh spin on butternut squash soup.
Servings
6
Ingredients
- 1/4 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 2 teaspoon unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup raw pumpkin seeds
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- generous pinch of ground cinnamon
- generous pinch of paprika
- generous pinch of cayenne pepper
- pinch of kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 2 pound kabocha squash, halved lengthwise and seeded
- 2 medium-sized bulbs fennel, halved lengthwise and sliced into ½-inch-thick wedges
- 4 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 5 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
- freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 2 teaspoon fennel seeds
- 4 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 2 cup onions, sliced
- 1 tablespoon thyme leaves
- 2 chiles de árbol
- 1 bay leaf
- 3/4 cup sherry
- 10 cup chicken stock, vegetable stock, or water
- 1/4 cup crème fraîche
Directions
- Toast the cumin seeds in a small pan over medium heat 2-3 minutes, until the seeds release their aroma and are lightly browned. Pound them coarsely in a mortar.
- Melt the butter in the cumin pan over medium heat. Add the pumpkin seeds and sugar, then sprinkle the spices and a healthy pinch of salt over them. Toss the pumpkin seeds to coat them well with the butter, and cook a few minutes, until just after they begin to pop and color slightly.
- Turn off the heat, and wait 30 seconds. Add the honey, tossing well to coat the pumpkin seeds. Spread on a plate and let them cool.
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
- Place the squash cut side down on a cutting board, and use a sharp knife to remove the peel. Slice the squash into 1-inch-thick wedges.
- Toss the squash and fennel with the olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt, and some freshly ground black pepper, to taste. Place the vegetables flat on a baking sheet and roast in the oven for about 35 minutes, until tender and slightly caramelized.
- Meanwhile, toast the fennel seeds in a small pan over medium heat for 2-3 minutes, until the seeds release their aroma and are lightly browned. Pound them coarsely in a mortar.
- Heat a Dutch oven or soup pot over high heat for 2 minutes. Add the butter, and when it foams, add the onions, fennel seeds, thyme, chiles, bay leaf, 1 teaspoon salt, and a good amount of freshly ground black pepper. Reduce the heat to medium-high, and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring often, until the onions are soft, translucent, and starting to color.
- Add the squash and fennel, and stir to coat with the onions for a minute. Turn the heat back up to high and pour in the sherry. Let it reduce for a minute or two, and then add the stock and 1 tablespoon salt. Bring to a boil, turn down the heat, and simmer for 20 minutes.
- Strain the soup through a colander set over a pot. Put 1/3 of the solids into a blender with ½ cup of the broth. (You will need to purée the soup in batches.) Process at the lowest speed until the squash mixture is puréed. Add another ½ cup broth and then turn the speed up to high and pour in more liquid, a little at a time, until the soup has the consistency of heavy cream. Blend at least a minute on high speed, until the soup is completely smooth and very creamy.
- Transfer to a container, and repeat with the rest of the ingredients. You may not need all of the liquid. Taste for balance and seasoning.
- Pour the soup into 6 bowls, spoon some crème fraîche in the center of each, and scatter the pumpkin seeds over the top. Or serve family-style in a tureen with the crème fraîche and pumpkin seeds on the side.