Butternut Squash Soup With Goat Cheese And Squash Crostini Recipes

ROASTED BUTTERNUT SQUASH SOUP WITH GOAT CHEESE

Steps:

• Preheat oven at 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Toss butternut squash with olive oil and garlic in a large bowl. Season with salt and black pepper. Arrange coated squash on a baking sheet.
• Roast in the preheated oven until squash is tender and slightly browned, 20 to 25 minutes. Add onion, half way through cooking.
• Discard thyme sprigs. Transfer content to a food processor in batches and puree using 1-2 vegetable stock (or water). Be careful, it will be hot.
• Once squash is pureed smooth. Set it aside.
• Heat 1 tbsp oil in heavy bottom pan. Add garlic, red pepper flakes, and thyme and saute for 30 seconds. Add pureed butternut squash, lemon juice, and remaining vegetable stock. Bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes (covered). Now, add goat cheese and mix well.
• Mix well so as to fully melt goat cheese in soup.
• While soup is simmering, coat pumpkin seeds in oil, salt, and pepper. Spread on a baking sheet and bake in oven for 7-10 minutes or until are lite brown and toasted. Keep an eye as these burn quickly.
• Taste and adjust salt. Also add black pepper to taste. (add more stock if soup is thick for your liking.) Serve hot garnished with toasted pumpkin seeds and pom seeds. Enjoy!

BUTTERNUT SQUASH SOUP WITH FONTINA CHEESE CROSTINI

Steps:

• In an 8-quart stockpot, add the butter and oil and melt together over medium-high heat. Add the onion and carrot and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook until aromatic, about 30 seconds. Add the squash and the chicken stock. Bring the mixture to a boil and add the sage. Continue to boil until the vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes. Turn off the heat. Using an immersion blender, blend the mixture until smooth and thick. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Keep the soup warm over low heat.
• For the crostini: Put an oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Arrange the bread slices on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with sage. Sprinkle the cheese on top and season with salt, to taste. Bake until the cheese has melted and the bread is light golden, about 6 to 8 minutes.
• To serve, ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with the cheese crostini.
• Cook's Note: The cooked vegetable mixture can also be pureed (after cooling for about 5 minutes) by ladling, in batches, into a food processor or blender and blended until smooth.

BUTTERNUT SQUASH, RICOTTA, AND SAGE CROSTINI

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425°F. Toss squash, 2 tablespoons oil, and sugar in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Arrange in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Roast, tossing occasionally, until squash is golden and tender, 25-30 minutes. Let cool on sheet.
• Heat 1 1/2 tablespoons oil in a small skillet over medium-high heat. Add sage; cook until edges begin to curl and turn dark green, 1-2 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, carefully transfer to paper towels to drain. Mix ricotta and lemon zest in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper. DO AHEAD: Butternut squash, sage leaves, and ricotta can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill squash. Store sage airtight at room temperature. Cover and chill ricotta mixture. Bring squash to room temperature before serving.
• Spread 1 tablespoon of ricotta mixture on each baguette slice. Top each with a few squash cubes. Drizzle crostini with lemon juice and olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Top crostini with 2 fried sage leaves each.