Honeynut Squash Soup

A relatively new cultivar, the honeynut squash is a hybrid of butternut and buttercup squash, and is packed with flavor and sweetness. I roast them with our Curcumade and Shawarma West blends, then puree and top it with crispy shallots. Kabocha and buttercup squash also work great.

Author

Christian Leue

Servings

4-6

Category

Soup

Ingredients

• 3 medium honeynut squash, scrubbed and split (about 3 pounds), or an equal weight of buttercup or kabocha squash*
• 1 large onion, peeled, root end trimmed
• 1 Tbsp Curcumade
• 1 Tbsp Shawarma West
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 tsp salt
• Chives for garnish
• Fried shallots for garnish
• Optionally, Baharat for garnish

Directions

1. Preheat your oven to 400°F and place a rack towards the bottom third. If you have a convection oven set it to 375°F.
2. Trim any root and flower ends from the squash, along with any rough pieces of peel.* Chop into 2" chunks. Chop the onion into eighths lengthwise. If you have enough squash seeds you can reserve them to roast separately.
3. Add the squash and onion to a sheet pan, and toss with with olive oil, salt, and the Curcumade and Shawarma West blends.
4. Roast the vegetables until they are nicely browned and softened. I find this takes about 25 minutes. No need to mix.
5. Remove the pieces to a strong blender, and add sufficient hot water to blend and form a creamy soup. Adjust to your tastes with salt. For an even finer texture you can pass the soup through a strainer.
6. Serve hot with crispy fried shallots, fresh chive rings, and optionally a dusting of Baharat.
7. Alternatively, serve chilled, with a bit of leek oil and charred leek.