Recipe developed and contributed by Maureen Gualtieri
I bet you’re doing a lot of holiday celebrating these days: I sure am, and as a direct result, I estimate I’m now about 40% dairy by volume. If you (and your system!) need a break, consider whipping up this month’s recipe on a night in. A classic butternut squash soup, this recipe is easy, light, and super flavourful thanks to a liberal application of DFC’s Maple Bourbon mustard. Pair it with a big green salad, or a simple piece of buttered toast, and enjoy the breather before diving back into holiday mayhem!
Roasted Maple Bourbon Squash Soup
(Yield: about 8 servings)
1 medium butternut squash
2 shallots
5 cloves garlic
1 tbsp paprika
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp coriander seeds
6 c. your favourite stock
4 tbsp olive oil, divided
2 tbsp DFC’s Maple Bourbon mustard
kosher salt and black pepper, to taste
za’atar spice mixture for garnish
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F, and prep a large baking sheet by lining it with parchment paper. With a sharp knife, peel and break down your butternut squash into approximately 1-inch cubes. Peel the garlic cloves and the shallots, and whack the shallots in half. Tumble all three of these ingredients into a large bowl. In a small bowl or ramekin, combine 3 tbsp of olive oil and your DFC’s Maple Bourbon Mustard, then pour the mixture over the veggies and toss to coat. Sprinkle with a bit of kosher salt and toss again.
Tip the squash cubes, garlic cloves, and half shallots out onto your prepared pan, and spread everything out evenly. Pop in the oven and roast for 40 minutes total, stirring well halfway through. Pull from the oven when you can poke a fork through the squash cubes, and keep them ready for the next step.
In a large soup pot, heat 1 tbsp of olive oil over medium heat. Lightly crush your cumin and coriander seeds and add to the oil, stirring the spices constantly as they toast. When they’re fragrant and sizzling, add your roasted veggies, the paprika, and the stock. Bring everything to a boil, then drop the heat and simmer for about 20 minutes.
Once simmered, puree everything in the pot with a stick blender, until creamy and smooth. Adjust seasoning with salt (depending on how salty your stock was) and pepper (lots!). Serve hot, in big bowls, garnished with za’atar spice mixture, or even the roasted seeds of the very squash in the soup!
