1 hour 15 min, Serves 4-6
For Soup
¼ cup olive oil
1 small onion, roughly chopped
2 Tbsp minced garlic
1 Tbsp minced rosemary
Thyme sprigs
8 cups cubed winter squash (see note below)
4 cups water
2 tsp salt
1 Tbsp red wine vinegar
1 Tbsp maple syrup, plus more for garnish
For Toppings
2 Tbsp olive oil
½ cup pumpkin seeds
¼ tsp salt
8 sage leaves, roughly chopped
1 Calabrian pepper, seeded and minced (optional)
In a large pot, heat ¼ cup olive oil over medium-low heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the rosemary and thyme sprigs and cook to release the flavors, just 30 seconds.
Add the squash, water and salt. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a low simmer. Continue cooking until the squash softens and starts to fall apart, about 30 minutes.
While the soup cooks, prepare the toppings. In a flat-bottom pan, heat 2 Tbsp olive oil over medium-low heat. Add the pumpkin seeds and salt and toast for 3-5 minutes, being careful not to let them burn. Remove the pan from heat and add the sage leaves, letting them cook in the residual heat as the pan cools. If using, seed and mince the Calabrian pepper, being very careful when handling, especially the seeds.
Finish the soup by removing the thyme stems and adding the red wine vinegar and maple syrup. Use an immersion blender (or carefully transfer and use a food processor), blend the soup until silky smooth. Taste and adjust the flavors with salt, red wine vinegar, and/or maple syrup if needed.
Ladle the soup into individual bowls and garnish with the pumpkin-sage mixture, plus a drizzle of maple syrup. Optional: sprinkle the Calabrian peppers (with a fork, not bare fingers).
Note: The winter squash we’re using for this meal kit is a North Georgia Candy Roaster, a beautiful heirloom variety that’s shaped like a massive pink banana. It will take some time to prepare, but you’ll end up with much more than the 8 cups required for this recipe, which you can save in the freezer. Here’s how we cut it down to size:
Using a very large and thick blade, cut off the ends.
Cut it in half—short way not lengthwise— to make it easier to handle.
Use a vegetable peeler to remove the skin. Depending on the shape of the squash you may need to use a knife. Place it flat side down for extra stability.
Once peeled, cut the sections in half, lengthwise this time, to expose the seeds.
If it looks a little green and gross, that’s normal. Use a large spoon to scoop out the seeds.
You should now have the squash cut into quarters. Place a piece face down and cut into half-moons, about 1-inch wide.
Cut the half moon into 1-inch sections, almost as if you’re cutting along spokes of a wheel. These are the final “cubed” shapes you’ll be using for the recipe.
Repeat steps 6 and 7 until you’ve finish.
To freeze any extra, it’s helpful to first lay them flat on a metal sheet in the freezer (this prevents them from sticking to each other later). Once frozen, transfer to a zip lock bag.