Beer Squash Soup: Not for the Weak-paletted

Fall = football, root vegetables, and brisk winds. So, let's use beer and squash and make it into a warm, creamy soup, K?

1 large butternut squash, roasted, peeled, and cut into chunks
1 thick cut strip of bacon, large dice (optional)
1 large sweet potato, peeled and cut into chunks
1/2 yellow onion, large dice
4 cloves of garlic, crushed
1 bottle Shiner Bock (you can use any flavorful, dark beer)
8 cups unsalted chicken broth
1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
3 strands saffron
2 leaves fresh sage
1 tablespoon canola oil
kosher salt
freshly cracked pepper
whipped goat cheese


Roasted Butternut Squash:
- preheat the oven to 400 degrees
- carefully cut the squash in half lengthwise
- scoop out seeds and strings with a large spoon
- place meat side up on a baking sheet and sprinkle with brown sugar, if desired
- roast for 45 mins to an hour, until meat is just becoming tender
- let cool and remove skin (it should come off easily)
- cut into large chunks for soup

Beer Squash Soup:
- in a large sauce pot, heat 1 Tablespoon canola oil with medium - low heat
- if using bacon, saute in oil until it starts to brown (about 4 mins)
- add garlic, toast lightly (about 1 min)
- add onion and until lightly caramelized (about 3 mins)
- add sweet potato and saute until bright orange (about 3 mins)
- deglaze with beer, scraping up the browned bits with a wooden spoon
- let beer reduce until about 1/4 inch is left in the bottom of the pot
- add chunks of butternut squash
- add chicken broth, stir until everything is combined
- add nutmeg, saffron, sage, 3 tablespoons of salt, and a few twists of cracked pepper
- turn up the heat to medium - high and bring to a simmer, do not let it boil
- let soup simmer for 20 - 30 mins
- remove sage leaves and let soup cool until warm enough to handle
- blend with stick blender or in batches in a motorized blender (be careful!)
- strain half of the blended mixture through a fine mesh strainer into a clean pot
- pour the rest of the mixture into the strained portion, blend if necessary
- add salt to taste

Serve soup with a dollop of whipped goat cheese, a drizzle of sage butter, a warm gruyere crostini, and, of course, a frosty mug of your favorite beer. Enjoy!

Sage Butter:
4 leaves fresh sage
1/2 cup Plugra butter

- heat butter in a sauce pan over medium - low heat
- fry sage leaves in butter
- if you want to use the fried sage leaves as a garnish, remove them from the pan and drain on a paper towel.

Gruyere Crostinis:
1 garlic clove, cut in half
12 tablespoons grated gruyere cheese
6 pieces of french baguette bread, sliced on a bias

- turn on oven broiler to 550 degrees
- rub garlic clove on each piece of bread, then discard
- arrange 2 tablespoons of gruyere on each piece of bread so that it covers the entire surface
- place crostinis on a baking sheet and put under broiler
- watch carefully, and remove when cheese begins to turn golden brown