Rustic Bakery’s roasted butternut squash soup

I have a few favorite local lunch spots that my girlfriends and I frequent often when we want to have a ladies lunch, Marin style.  Marin style means it’s all about being casual when going to lunch to meet your friends.  It’s really about the conversation and food, not the stuffiness of having to get all dressed up or look a certain way, who wants to do that?  Marin is a laid-back, easygoing community, and that is why I love it so.

One of our favorite lunchtime spots is Rustic Bakery in Larkspur.  This is not just a bakery but also an amazing breakfast and lunch cafe. They have some of the most magnificent salads, sandwiches and baked goods.  Everything at the cafe is made with local and organic ingredients.

I was a happy girl when I picked up a copy of Organic Marin from my local library and saw one of my favorite soup recipes from Rustic Bakery inside.  I was excited to go home and re-create this soup for my family and I to have for lunch over the weekend.  

 Chop up your onion and shallots and set aside in a bowl.  Cut your squash in half.

 Scoop out the seeds and strings from the cavity.  I use my melon ball scooper to do this, as it’s quick and easy.  Rub the olive oil over the cut sides of the squash and season each with salt and pepper.

 Put 2 sprigs of thyme and 3 garlic cloves in each in each cavity.  Doesn’t the squash look so pretty?

Then carefully place the squash halves cut side down on the baking sheet.

Roast the squash for 50 to 60 minutes, until soft and caramelized.
Remove the squash from the oven and let cool.
Reserve the garlic cloves and discard the thyme.

 Scoop the butternut squash flesh from the skin, coarsely chop (just chop it with a spoon in the bowl as it will be soft), and set aside.

Melt the 3 tablespoons butter in a dutch oven or soup pot over medium-high heat.

Sauté the onion and shallots for 7 to 10 minutes, until they begin to brown.
Add the roasted butternut squash, the reserved garlic cloves, 1/2-teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper (or just add a pinch of salt and a few turns of the pepper grinder, that is what I do) and sauté for 5 to 7 minutes, until the squash begins to caramelize and stick to the bottom of the pan.
Note: Break up the squash with your spoon and stir it frequently so it doesn’t stick to the bottom.

Pour in the chicken stock, bring to a boil, then decrease the heat to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes.

Puree the soup until smooth using either a hand held immersion blender, or puree in small batches using a blender then return the soup to the pot.
Stir in the 1/4-cup cream.

Taste the soup and adjust the seasoning if needed.

 This soup was very flavorful, rich and delicious.  It actually tasted better day two, as the flavors had a chance to mesh together.
I paired it up with my kale salad and these crispy olive oil and sea salt crackers from Rustic Bakery.  You don’t always have to go out to lunch to have a gourmet lunch experience.  It’s nice to sometimes treat yourself to a gourmet lunch at home either by yourself or with a few close friends.