Hello there! My name is Caitlin, and I am a food scientist, chef-in-training, recipe developer, & food connoisseur. I am passionate about all things cooking, from restaurants, to recipes, to ingredients, to my gear. I love shopping, curating, & sharing my tips and tricks with you, so that you can do your very best work.

INGREDIENTS

  • 600 g ripe butternut squash (about one small squash)

  • 2 tbsp unsalted butter

  • 2 tbsp refined olive oil

  • 1 white onion diced

  • 3-4 cloves garlic minced

  • 1 green onion chopped (white + green parts)

  • 1/2 tsp marjoram

  • 1/4 tsp ground thyme

  • 1 tbsp freshly dried rosemary (ground)

  • 1 thick aged parmesan rind

  • 1 large bay leaf

  • 1 cup water + 1 heaping spoonful of Better than Chicken Bouillon

  • 1.5 cups whole milk

  • dollop creme fresh

  • kosher salt to taste

  • fresh dill for garnish

  • optional: 8 oz flakey white fish (like cod or flounder)

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Melt butter and olive oil in a large pot over medium heat

  2. Add diced onion, season with salt, and sauté for 5-10 minutes just to soften the onions

  3. Add minced garlic, marjoram, ground thyme, and ground rosemary to the pot, sauté for 3 minutes

  4. Add cubed butternut squash and green onion and sauté until the outsides of the squash start to soften

  5. Microwave the chicken bouillon and water for two 30-second intervals until well combined, add to pot and bring mixture to simmer

  6. Fold in parmesan rind and bay leaf, simmer until butternut squash is fork tender (about 10 minutes covered)

  7. Reduce heat to low and stir in creme fresh and whole milk

  8. Blend the mixture carefully with an immersion blender until smooth

  9. If using fish, bring the soup back up to medium heat and add in strips of white fish. Cook until the fish flakes apart (only a few minutes) and no longer! Make sure to continuously stir the soup so the bottom doesn’t brown

  10. Garnish with sprigs of fresh dill, serve with a toasted baguette (cuban bread pairs very nicely)

Not only is the soup a delicious autumn staple, but it is one that reminds me of home. The gloomy days off the coast of New Jersey during the fall absolutely require a warm bowl of soup hug. It's creamy, hearty, and bursting with flavor. The soup is infused with delicate herbs and spices that give it a depth of flavor. My secret to making this soup stand out is to use fresh rosemary that has been dried out in the sun, combined with the addition of creme fresh. The process of sun-drying the herbs helps to intensify the rosemary flavor, making the dish more potent and fragrant. Although you can use ground rosemary from the grocery store, I highly recommend doing this extra step!