Going to California and eating butternut squash soup made by Thomas Keller is just not in the cards for me. Logistically, financially, it’s just not gonna happen. That’s ok. We all have goals. I’ll get there someday. Someday.

In the meantime… I scoured the internet to find a good squash soup recipe. And there are millions. However, I needed it to have as close to same exact ingredients as Chef Keller in order to sort of fulfill my dream. But I also don’t have tons of time. I also lack the skills. And I’m tired.

But enough about what I don’t have. Let’s focus on what I do have. Let’s take intricate recipes and dumb them down.

Instead of buying a full butternut squash and carving it, roasting it, cutting it and re-roasting it; we can buy precut, cubed squash!

Yeah. Keep It Simple Stupid.

Buying precut anything is always going to save you time. Time is precious. Time is money.

I also don’t own a garnish bag to fill with exotic spices. Wait a second… are there really exotic spices in the recipes? No, but you’re getting my point. Simply add sprigs to the stock and season your veggies with thyme seasoning if you can’t find it fresh. It’ll still taste amazing! Just because a recipe looks intricate, fancy and requires excellent culinary skills doesn’t mean regular people like me can’t make it. Try this one out and let me know:)

Ingredients:

• 3 1/2 pounds of butternut squash; cubed

• 2 TBSP Canola Oil

• 1 cup leeks; thinly sliced (white and light green parts only)

• 1/2 cup carrots; thinly sliced

• 1/2 cup shallots; thinly slicecd

• 1/2 cup onions; thinly sliced

• 8 garlic cloves; peeled and smashed

• 6 cups vegetable stock

• 2 TBSP Honey

• A couple of sprigs of thyme, italian parsley

• salt and pepper to taste

  Garnish

• 1/4 cup creme fraiche

• 1 tsp ground nutmeg

• Butter

• 12 sage leaves

• Extra Virgin Olive Oil

• Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with tin foil.

2. In a large bowl mix the squash a tbsp oil, salt and pepper until fully coated. Spread squash evenly onto the baking sheet and bake about 20 minutes or until softened. Remove from oven and let cool.

3. Meanwhile, in a large pot heat oil over medium-high heat and add the sliced : leeks, carrots, shallots and onions. Season with kosher salt and pepper to taste. I added several large pinches with both salt and pepper. Cook 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally. When the squash has cooled enough add it to the large pot. Add smashed garlic and cook another 5 minutes. Lower the temperature to medium heat and add honey, stirring 2-3 minutes more.

4. Add vegetable stock and sprigs of thyme and parsley. Bring to a simmer and cook another 15 minutes or until the squash is fully tender.

5. Remove from heat and let the soup completely cool.

6. Transfer soup to a blender. Work in batches until soup is fully pureed. Let the soup cool and refrigerate until ready to serve. Refrigerating over night will enhance the flavor and pull more of your seasoning through.

7. When ready to serve: heat the soup and garnish

Garnish:

1. Warm 1-2 TBSP butter in a skillet, add sage leaves and cook until sage leaves and butter are slightly browned. Remove sage and let dry on a paper towel

2. In a small bowl, mix creme fraiche and nutmeg. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

3. Drizzle some olive oil into each bowl. Add a dollup of the creme fraiche. Grind some black pepper and add a couple of sage leaves. Gorgeously delish!