An easy weeknight soup for the autumn season – Butternut squash and chestnut velouté topped with crisp lardons and double crème de la Gruyère. The chestnuts help give this bright soup a velvety texture. In addition, it pairs nicely with a Chardonnay from the canton of Neuchâtel.
How to make it:
Butternut Squash-Chestnut Soup
Ingredients
- 1-2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 shallot (about 1/3 cup), finely chopped
- 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
- 1-2 dried bay leaves
- 1 cup chestnuts, frozen or canned/jarred
- 1/4 cup white wine
- 2 1/2 cups butternut squash, cubed
- 2 cups vegetable broth
- 1/4 to 1/2 cup milk
- salt and pepper, to taste
- Toppings: fresh parsley, fried lardons (or bacon), and double crème de la Gruyère (or crème fraîche)
Directions
- In a large saucepan, saute the shallots and garlic in butter over medium heat until they become soft and transparent.
- Add the chestnuts, bay leaf and white wine. Continue to stir frequently until the wine has cooked into the chestnuts, then add the butternut squash and vegetable broth. Bring to a boil, and let simmer for about 15 minutes, until the chestnuts easily break apart and the butternut squash is soft.
- Remove the bay leaf. Then, use a blender to puree the soup together until smooth.
- Stir in 1/4 to 1/2 cup milk, depending on how thick you want the soup. Gently reheat and serve immediately, topped with finely chopped parsley, fried lardons and a dollop of double crème de la Gruyère.
Wine Pairing for a Butternut Squash Soup
To serve with this soup, Guillaume of DADA, le vin suisse recommended a Swiss Chardonnay, élevé en barrique (aged in oak barrels), from Les Vins Porrets. This cozy wine shop is located in the historic center of Neuchâtel.
Le French Paradoxe (UPDATE: The name of this wine shop has changed to DADA, le vin suisse), Rue du Trésor 2, 2000 Neuchâtel, +41 (0)32 535 12 79.
Categories: Culinary travel, Drink, Drinks, Lunch/dinner, Meat, milk, Recipes, Swiss, Swiss food, Switzerland, Vegetables, Wine
That sounds utterly wonderful!
Thank you so much, Stella!! I really appreciate your feedback! Hope you’re doing well, and have a great weekend. -Heddi
I’m not familiar with double creme de la Gruyere. Here in the US we have double creme and we certainly have Gruyere, but I don’t know of a product that combines them both. I see the link to the description but I can’t translate it. If it’s something that can be made at home, it would be great to have a recipe! It sounds heavenly!
Hello! Great questions – thanks for sharing them. This is just one of those ingredients that I think would be impossible to try and find in the US. For more info about it (in English), David Lebovitz has a good blog post for you: https://www.davidlebovitz.com/la-gruyere-double-cream/. In my opinion, I think that crème fraîche is a good substitute. Good luck! I hope you like this recipe, and please don’t hesitate to contact me if you have other suggestions. Many thanks, -Heddi
Ah, ok, thank you – now I understand! I had originally guessed it to be some sort of a whipped emulsion between Gruyere Cheese and double cream, so I appreciate the clarification.
Great – glad this info was helpful. Anytime you have questions, please don’t hesitate to ask. Many thanks for visiting my blog! Best wishes, -Heddi
This soup looks so delicious!! Thanks for sharing!
Thanks so much, Karly! 🙂