Easy Roasted Butternut Squash Recipe With Brown Butter
Prep Time:
20 minutes
Cook Time:
1 hour
Servings:
4 servings
Ingredients
  • 1 butternut squash (1 pound)
  • 5 tablespoons canola oil, divided
  • 18 fresh sage leaves, divided
  • 1 cup thinly sliced leeks (white and light green part only)
  • ½ cup peeled carrots cut into ¼-inch rounds
  • 1 small white onion, thinly sliced
  • 6 cloves garlic, minced
  • 6 cups chicken stock
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 2 tablespoons sour cream, for garnish
Directions
  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  2. Using a vegetable peeler, remove the skin from the butternut squash and discard. Cut the neck off the squash and set it aside. Cut the bulb in half and scoop out and discard the seeds. Cut the squash into 1-inch cubes. In a large bowl, toss the squash with 2 tablespoons of the canola oil and 10 sage leaves. Spread the squash on the prepared baking sheet and bake until fork-tender, about 30 minutes. Let cool. Discard the sage leaves.
  3. Heat the remaining 3 tablespoons canola oil in a medium pot over high heat. Add the leek, carrots, and onions, reduce the heat to medium, and cook, stirring often, for 10 minutes.
  4. Reserve 1 cup of the cooked squash for garnish. Add the remaining squash, the garlic, and a pinch of salt to the leek mixture and cook gently for 3 minutes, stirring often and reducing the heat as necessary to keep the vegetables from sticking to the bottom of the pan. Add the chicken stock, bring to a simmer, and cook for 20 minutes. Add salt if the soup tastes flat. Let the soup cool slightly.
  5. Working in batches, purée the soup in a high-speed blender until smooth. Return the soup to the bot, taste again and season with salt and pepper.
  6. When ready to serve, gently reheat the soup. Heat a small skillet over medium heat. Add the butter and rotate the skillet over the heat to melt the butter evenly, scraping up any bits that settle to the bottom. As soon as the butter starts to show a light brown color, add the remaining 8 sage leaves and swirl them in the butter for 30 seconds. Immediately pour the butter and sage leaves into a heatproof bowl to stop the cooking. Remove the sage leaves and drain on a paper towel; reserve the brown butter.
  7. Serve the soup hot, garnished with the reserved squash, fried sage, a swirl of sour cream, and a drizzle of brown butter.