Liquid Autumn Soup
Fall in a Bowl
Ingredients
- 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter
- 1 cup (5 ounces onion), roughly chopped
- 1 cup (6 ounces) Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored and roughly chopped
- 1 cup (7 ounces) rutabaga, peeled and roughly chopped
- 1 cup (5 ounces) butternut squash, peeled, seeded and roughly chopped
- 1 cup (5 ounces) carrots, peeled and roughly chopped
- 1 cup (8 ounces) sweet potato, peeled and roughly chopped
- 1 quart good chicken stock
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper or to taste
- Kosher salt
Instructions
- In a large pan or Dutch oven (6 to 7-quarts) over medium-high heat, melt the butter.
- Add the onion, apple, rutabaga, butternut squash, carrots and sweet potato. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are translucent, about 10 minutes (don’t rush this step). Stir in 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt.
- Add the chicken stock and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 20 to 25 minutes or until all of the produce is cooked through and tender.
- Pour the mixture into a blender, food processor or Vitamix (see Notes for immersion blender option) and purée until smooth. Strain through a fine mesh strainer into the same pot you used to cook the produce. (Note if you’re using a Vitamix, you do not need to strain it.)
- Stir in the cream, maple syrup, cayenne pepper and 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt.
- Return the pot to the stove, bring the soup to a simmer, and serve. Add more salt, if needed.
- The soup can be made up to 2 days in advance. Cool to room temperature before covering and refrigerating.
Notes
- I added the ‘ounces’ measurements for the produce to make it easier for shopping. Stick to these weights at the grocery store and once peeled (if needed) and chopped it will yield a cup of each. Note that the weight for the apple assumes you’re discarding the core.
- I doubled the recipe and cooked it in my 13.25-quart Le Creuset Dutch oven. When it was all done, I transferred it to my 7.25-quart Le Creuset Dutch oven to reheat (and travel with).
- Alternatively you could use an immersion blender but it’s not much of a time saver as you’ll need to strain the puréed mixture from the pot into a bowl and then transfer it back to the pot. I have a Vitamix immersion blender, too, but it doesn’t work as well as the traditional Vitamix blender, and would also need to be strained.
- If you want to prepare this soup more than 2 days in advance, take it through the purée/strain step (step 4), let it cool and freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost the soup 1 to 2 days before serving. Transfer it to a pot. Stir in the cream, maple syrup, cayenne pepper and 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt. Bring it to a simmer over medium-low heat and serve.
