RECIPE of the MONTH
Butternut Squash Soup with Hazelnut Cream
Ingredients
1/3 cup heavy cream
2 Tbs. finely chopped toasted hazelnuts
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
2 Tbs. unsalted butter
1 yellow onion, chopped
2 cups unsalted chicken stock, warmed,
plus more as needed
1 jar (17 oz.) butternut squash puree
Freshly grated nutmeg, to taste
Directions
In a saucepan over medium heat, warm the cream until steam starts
to rise. Remove from the heat, add the hazelnuts and let cool.
Season with salt and pepper. Refrigerate for 1 hour.
In a soup pot over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the onion
and sauté, stirring occasionally, until tender and translucent,
4 to 6 minutes. Add the 2 cups stock and the squash puree and
bring to a simmer, stirring, then reduce the heat to medium-low.
Cook, stirring, for 12 to 15 minutes. Using a blender or stick
blender, puree the soup, adding more stock if the soup is too
thick. Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg.
Whisk the hazelnut cream until lightly foamy. Ladle the soup
into warmed bowls and top each serving with the hazelnut cream.
The Nuts: Be sure to toast
and skin the hazelnuts before adding them to the cream. Toasting
brings out the rich flavor of the nuts and loosens the skins,
which can taste bitter. Place the nuts in a dry fry pan over medium
heat and toast, shaking the pan or stirring occasionally, until
the nuts are fragrant, 10 to 15 minutes. Or spread the nuts in
a single layer on a baking sheet and toast in a 325°F oven,
stirring occasionally, for 10 to 15 minutes. While the nuts are
still warm, wrap them in a kitchen towel and rub vigorously to
remove the skins. It’s OK if a few bits of skin still cling
to the nuts.
Serves 4.
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