Chef John's Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

Recipe View Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). (5 minutes)

Recipe View Drizzle olive oil into a large roasting pan. Add onion, carrots, garlic cloves, and a generous pinch of salt; toss until vegetables are coated in oil. Place squash halves onto the chopped vegetables with the cut sides facing up. Sprinkle squash with additional salt. (10 minutes)

Recipe View Roast in the preheated oven until squash is tender and easily pierced with the tip of a knife, about 1 hour. Remove from the oven and allow vegetables to cool slightly. (60 minutes)

Recipe View While the vegetables are cooling, prepare the brown butter: Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. When butter foams and begins to turn golden brown, reduce the heat to low. As the butter transforms from golden to a light, nutty brown, remove from the heat and immediately stir in sage leaves. (10 minutes)

Recipe View Scoop out the roasted squash flesh and transfer it to a large stockpot with the remaining roasted vegetables. Stir in chicken broth, brown butter mixture, and maple syrup. Place the pot over high heat and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low and gently simmer to allow the flavors to meld, approximately 45 to 60 minutes. Remove from the heat. (60 minutes)

Recipe View Using an immersion blender, blend the soup until it reaches a velvety smooth consistency, about 3 to 4 minutes. For an even more refined texture, pass the mixture through a fine-mesh strainer to remove any remaining fibrous particles. (5 minutes)

Recipe View If the soup seems too thick, adjust the consistency by adding a few tablespoons of water or chicken broth. Stir in cider vinegar, a pinch of salt if needed, and cayenne pepper. Garnish each serving with a delicate dollop of crème fraîche and a sprinkle of fresh chives. (5 minutes)