Serves 4 to 6Butternut Squash Soup with Fontina Cheese Crostini
Recipe by Giada De Laurentiis
I love this butternut squash soup for its simplicity. The flavors of the butternut squash, garlic and sage truly shine – it tastes very clean and healthy, while still being quite creamy and velvety (with no cream!).
The fontina cheese crostini add a really fun and delicious element to this dish – it’s a little more fun than regular toasted bread. I love the buttery flavor of fontina, and it melts beautifully.
I’ve known many people to use this soup as a base – while I love it as is, feel free to spruce it up with your favorite spices (turmeric, cumin, cinnamon or curry powders would be lovely).
Butternut Squash Soup with Fontina Cheese Crostini
Serves:
6
Cooking Level:
Prep Time
10 minutes
Cook Time
1 hour
Inactive Time
Total Time
1 hour 10 minutes
INGREDIENTS:
For The Soup:
- 2 tablespoons butter at room temperature
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 1 medium carrot peeled and chopped into ½-inch pieces
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 3 ½ pounds butternut squash peeled, seeded, and cut into 1 inch pieces (7 to 8 cups)
- 6 cups low-sodium chicken stock
- ¼ cup chopped fresh sage
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
For The Crostini:
- ½ baguette sliced diagonally into ½-inch-thick
- Extra-virgin olive oil for drizzling
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage
- 1 cup 2 ounces grated Fontina cheese
- Kosher salt
INSTRUCTIONS:
- In an 8-quart stockpot, melt the butter and oil together over medium high heat. Add the onion and carrot. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes, until the onion is soft. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds, until aromatic. Add the squash and chicken stock. Bring the mixture to a full simmer and add the sage.
- Continue to simmer until the vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes. Turn off the heat. Using an immersion blender, blend the mixture until smooth and thick. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Keep the soup warm over low heat.
- For the crostini: Place an oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Arrange the bread slices on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with the sage. Sprinkle the cheese on top and season with salt. Bake for 6 to 8 minutes until the cheese has melted and the bread is light golden. To serve, ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with the cheese crostini.
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Photo Credit: Lauren Volo
