I thought I could safely put away recipes for warming soups until next winter, but the weather had other plans. After a week of warm days, we’ve slipped back into fall: relentless rain that hasn’t stopped for two days. It feels like living on a tropical island in monsoon season. My French saying, “En mai, fais ce qu’il te plaît” (In May do as you please), feels very far away.
So here I am, back in boots and sweaters, craving a comforting bowl of soup with crusty bread and grilled meat for a rainy Sunday in New England. I pulled out a cookbook I’ll talk more about soon and adapted a recipe to suit what I had on hand: butternut squash, prosciutto, and fresh ginger. Perfect for a squash soup.
What I love about this soup is its deep orange color, its natural sweetness and silky texture. Crystallized spicy ginger and grilled prosciutto cut through the sweetness and add a contrast of flavor and texture. For extra indulgence, I fried some Irish potato bread I’d frozen after my mother‑in‑law’s last trip home. While frying the prosciutto and bread, someone called down the stairs, “Bacon!”—and when lunch hit the table, P. looked out at the pouring rain and said, “Mmmmm, I feel like we’re in Ireland.” It did feel a bit like my husband’s grandmother’s kitchen, minus the ginger but with the best potato or brown bread you can imagine.
Despite the gloomy weather, the bright bowls of warm orange soup and the crunchy accompaniments made the day feel sunny again. Lucky for us, I made a big batch—apparently the rain will stick around all week.
On a related note, next week France celebrates la fête du pain (Bread Festival) with the theme “Faites des tartines,” a celebration of spreads and open‑faced sandwiches. I always love a good tartine, so I’ll be making something in honor of St. Honoré, the patron of bakers, whose day is May 16th.
You need:
For the soup:
- 3 lb butternut squash
- 5 cups chicken stock
- 1.5 oz fresh ginger root
- 2 Tbsp crème fraîche
- Parsley, chopped
- 1/3 cup white wine
- 2.5 oz sugar
- 2 Tbsp butter
For the crystallized ginger:
- Fresh ginger, julienned
- Confectioner’s sugar
- Canola oil for frying
Tip: Start with the crystallized ginger.
To make the soup
- Melt the butter in a heavy‑bottomed pot.
- Add peeled squash, sugar and coarsely chopped ginger. Cover and sweat on low heat for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Remove the lid and cook until most of the liquid has evaporated.
- Add the white wine and let it evaporate for a few minutes.
- Add the chicken stock and crème fraîche; simmer for 10 minutes.
- Let cool slightly, then puree with a blender until smooth. Adjust seasoning to taste.
To make the crystallized ginger
- Julienne the ginger and toss with confectioner’s sugar. Let sit for 45 minutes.
- Rinse briefly and pat dry.
- Heat canola oil in a frying pan to about 300°F (150°C), enough to reach roughly 1.5 inches (4 cm) deep.
- Fry the ginger briefly—about 30 seconds—until it browns slightly and becomes crisp.
- Drain on paper towel, then toss with a little more confectioner’s sugar and set aside.
To serve, ladle the soup into bowls, sprinkle with crystallized ginger and chopped parsley, and top with grilled prosciutto slices. Serve with good bread.
Ingrédients :
Pour la soupe :
- 1,3 kg de courge butternut, pelée et coupée
- 1,2 l de bouillon de poule
- 40 g de gingembre frais
- 2 c. à soupe de crème fraîche
- Persil haché
- 75 ml de vin blanc
- 70 g de sucre
- 30 g de beurre
Pour le gingembre cristallisé :
- Gingembre coupé en julienne
- Sucre glace
- Huile pour friture
Conseil : commencez par préparer le gingembre cristallisé.
Pour réaliser la soupe :
- Faites fondre le beurre dans une cocotte à fond épais.
- Ajoutez la courge, le sucre et le gingembre grossièrement haché. Couvrez et laissez suer 45 minutes à feu doux en remuant de temps en temps.
- Retirez le couvercle et laissez le jus s’évaporer.
- Ajoutez le vin blanc et laissez évaporer quelques minutes.
- Ajoutez le bouillon et la crème, puis laissez mijoter 10 minutes.
- Laissez tiédir avant de mixer jusqu’à obtenir une soupe lisse. Rectifiez l’assaisonnement.
Pour réaliser le gingembre cristallisé :
- Coupez le gingembre en julienne et saupoudrez de sucre glace. Laissez reposer 45 minutes.
- Rincez et séchez sur du papier absorbant.
- Faites chauffer l’huile à environ 150 °C (4 cm d’huile dans la poêle) et faites frire le gingembre 30 secondes jusqu’à légère coloration et croustillant.
- Égouttez sur du papier absorbant, saupoudrez de sucre glace et réservez.
Pour servir, versez une louche de soupe dans une assiette creuse ou un bol, décorez avec le gingembre cristallisé et du persil, et accompagnez de tranches de prosciutto grillé et d’un bon pain.
Recipe adapted from Starters