Fall is such a wonderful time of year in the Seattle area–cool crisp days showing off the vivid fall foliage and a fresh dusting of snow in the nearby mountains. It is a wonderful time to cook, with so many richly flavored, aromatic ingredients available. Three come together in this soup: butternut squash, apples, and hazelnuts. Pumpkin seed oil is an aromatic, dark green oil which I use for last-minute flavoring, rather than for cooking. Fresh goat cheese is an optional addition to the apple-hazelnut filling for the phyllo packets, offering a touch of tangy complement to the rich soup. Note that some phyllo producers now sell half-sized sheets of phyllo rather than the more common full-sized 14 by 18-inch sheets. If you purchase the smaller sheets, form 2 triple-layer sheets and halve each lengthwise.
–Thierry Rautureau
Butternut Squash Soup with Apple and Hazelnut Baked in Phyllo
Print recipe
| Serves | 4 |
| Meal type | Apples, Butternut Squash, Chives |
| Season | Fall, Winter |
Ingredients
- 1 butternut squash (about 1-1/2 pounds)
- 10 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 teaspoons hazelnut oil or olive oil
- 1 Granny Smith apple
- 3 tablespoons plus
- 1 teaspoon minced shallot
- 1/4 teaspoon minced garlic
- 2 pinches minced thyme
- 4 cups vegetable stock
- 1/2 cup hazelnuts, toasted and coarsely chopped
- 1/4 cup Calvados
- 2 teaspoons minced chives
- Salt and freshly ground white pepper
- 3 sheets phyllo dough
- 3 tablespoons crème fraîche or heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons Frangelico
- Garnish - Beet coulis
- Garnish - Pumpkin seed oil or hazelnut oil
Directions
| 1 | Trim the ends from the butternut squash and halve it lengthwise. |
| 2 | Use a large spoon to scoop out the seeds and fibrous flesh from the center. (The seeds can be cleaned and tossed with olive oil and salt to roast for a tasty snack.) |
| 3 | Cut the squash into large pieces for easier handling. Use a small knife to carefully peel away the skin from the squash and coarsely chop the meat. |
| 4 | Heat 6 tablespoons of the butter with the hazelnut oil in a large saucepan over medium heat until the butter is melted and foamy white. |
| 5 | Add the squash and cook, stirring occasionally, until beginning to soften (but not brown), 5 to 7 minutes. Peel the skin from the apple, using a paring knife so that some of the flesh still clings to the apple skin. |
| 6 | Add the apple skin to the squash with 3 tablespoons of the shallot, the garlic, and a pinch of the thyme. Cook, stirring, until the shallot and garlic are tender and aromatic, about 5 minutes. |
| 7 | Stir in the vegetable stock and simmer until the squash is very tender, about 20 minutes. |
| 8 | Stir in the hazelnuts, then work in batches to purée the ingredients in a blender or food processor until very smooth. Strain the soup through a fine sieve back into the pan and set aside. |
| 9 | Core the apple and cut it into 1/4-inch dice. |
| 10 | Heat 1 tablespoon of the butter in a small skillet over medium heat until melted and foamy white. |
| 11 | Add the diced apple with the remaining teaspoon of shallot and remaining pinch of thyme. Sauté the apple, tossing gently a few times, until it just begins to soften but still holds its shape, 1 to 2 minutes. |
| 12 | Add the Calvados, carefully light the liquid with a long match, and flambé until the flames subside. Take the pan from the heat and stir in the chives with salt and pepper to taste. |
| 13 | Preheat the oven to 450-degrees-F. |
| 14 | Melt the remaining 3 tablespoons of the butter in a small saucepan, then take the pan from the heat. |
| 15 | Lay 1 of the phyllo sheets horizontally on the work surface and lightly butter the surface with some of the melted butter. |
| 16 | Lay another sheet on top and brush it with butter as well. Repeat with a third sheet of phyllo dough. |
| 17 | Cut the phyllo sheets in quarters vertically. Spoon 1/4 of the apple filling onto the bottom center of 1 phyllo portion, about 2 inches up from the bottom. |
| 18 | Fold the bottom edge of dough up over the filling, then fold in both long edges to make an even vertical strip. |
| 19 | Fold the filled portion of dough upward as for a flag, forming a phyllo packet in a triangular shape (or simply fold upward to make a square packet). |
| 20 | Brush the top of the packet with more melted butter and set it on a heavy baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining phyllo strips and apple filling. |
| 21 | Bake the apple-hazelnut phyllo packets until crisp and well browned, 10 to 12 minutes. |
| 22 | While the phyllo packets are baking, finish the soup. Stir in the crème fraîche and Frangelico, then use an immersion blender to fully incorporate. |
| 23 | Taste the soup for seasoning, adding more salt or pepper to taste, and gently reheat over medium heat. |
| 24 | To serve, ladle the hot soup into warmed shallow soup bowls. |
| 25 | Garnish with dots of beet coulis around the outer edge of the soup and drizzle pumpkin seed oil lightly over the surface of the soup. |
| 26 | Set a phyllo packet in the center of each soup and serve right away. |