Roasted Acorn Squash and Champagne Soup

I love champagne! I am a champagne girl but I am also a lava flow girl, a margarita girl, a prosecco girl and also a vodka and cranberry girl. However, I rarely keep it in the house as I have a tendency to cook or bake with the champagne, rather than drink it. Bad habit, I know, but if it is in my home, I will find a way to bake/cook with it. If someone wanted to give me a few bottles of Perrier Jouët, I would promise not to do anything but drink it... all... by myself! Hint.... Hint!

This year I had originally planned to spend February sharing 4 champagne recipes with you during February. I wanted a full course meal of champagne  soup, champagne fondue, champagne entree, and champagne dessert. That as you can see did not happen, I really wanted to make February feel bubbly and special with the help of champagne based recipes. 

So instead I decided to share this recipe with you.  This recipe has been on my radar and on my must make list for months. So I decided that this recipe had to be blogged about!  The soup was very easy to make, but it dirtied a lot of pots, pans, etc. But it was worth all the cleanup. 

On the second or third day, the flavors have melded and the consistency has changed from a soup to something more creamy and hearty. The flavors soften and everything just works together perfectly. The creamy squash works with sweet and tangy onions and all those flavors hold the loveliness of the champagne.  This soup is perfectly balanced and made even more delicious with the addition of sour cream. This soup is both rich in flavor and texture.

This is a weird soup, both my dad and I agree. The flavors are both expected and unexpected but the champagne gives off a delicious flavor that you cannot really recognize as champagne. It was delicious, however, if you serve the soup with a glass of champagne, the unknown champagne flavor will become more pronounced and even more delicious! The depth of the flavor along with the richness of the Roasted Acorn Squash and Champagne Soup will make this a favorite in your home for years to come!

          This soup is part of a larger and beautiful story of love and survival. 

Please visit Cooking with Sin to read this real and heartwarming story.  Link

2 years ago: Banana Bread

2 years ago: Pink Champagne Cupcakes

Champagne Squash Soup

adapted  from Cooking with Sin

Serves 6-8

4 lbs. squash, acorn or butternut, I used 3 medium acorn squash

2 medium sweet onions, halved and very thinly sliced

4 tablespoons butter (2 + 2)

1/4 cup champagne (You will find some way to use the remainder of the bottle!)

4-5 cups chicken broth

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg, plus 

salt and pepper to taste

1/4 cup sour cream
Preheat oven to 350° F.

Line a cookie sheet with foil. 

Quarter the squash and  scoop out the seeds.  Place the quarters skin-side up on the cookie sheet and bake for about 1 – 1 1/2 hours until the squash is tender. 

Let the squash cool. Scoop out the pulp and pureé in batches in a food processor. 

Sauté the onions in 2 tablespoons of the butter until they turn clear.  Add the champagne and cook, stirring often, until liquid is absorbed and onions are golden brown.  Purée the onions in a food processor with a little of the squash purée, If the onions are too thick, add in 1/4 cup of champagne or chicken broth to the onions and puree for 2-3 minutes more. 

In a large saucepan, combine the onion and squash purées.  Whisk in the chicken broth until you reach the consistency you prefer.  Season with nutmeg, salt and pepper.

Cover and heat on medium, 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Whisk in the final 2 tablespoons of butter, I added in 4 additional tablespoons of butter and 1 tablespoon whole milk to give the soup a richer mouth feel and to make it more sinful! 

To decorate, fill individual bowls with the soup, drop a small spoonful of room temperature sour cream on top of each bowl and swirl with a knife. Sprinkle a pinch of nutmeg on top and you can garnish with a sprig of fresh parsley.

This soup is so much better the second day and even more delicious the third day so plan on making it in advance for the best flavors.

This is one of my favorite songs by Louis Armstrong but Billie Holiday does a beautiful and haunting rendition as well. Enjoy!