Fall Recipes: Butternut squash soup from Bowers Harbor Inn

September 30, 8:59 PMDetroit Restaurant ExaminerDavid Moss

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With autumn temperatures in the air, there’s nothing like curling up to a nice hot bowl of soup. A great Fall soup recipe that I’ve found comes from Chef Paul Olson at the Bowers Harbor Inn, Traverse City, Michigan.

Chef Olson enjoys working up North, among all the fantastic orchards and farms on Old Mission Peninsula. He makes this particular soup with almost all local ingredients. The squash, onions, carrots, chicken bones for stock, apples and sage are from local farmers.

Old Mission Butternut Squash & Honey Crisp Apple Soup

• 1 Spanish onion diced
• 1 med size carrot peeled and chopped
• 6 cups peeled & seeded butternut squash
• 2 tbsp olive or canola oil
• 2 Michigan honey crisp apples (peeled, seeded and chopped)
• 1 cup apple cider
• 1 ½ qts chicken stock or chicken bouillon
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• Dash Tabasco
• 2 tbsp chopped sage
• Salt and fresh pepper to taste
• 2 tsp honey
• 2 bay leaves
• 4 oz sweet butter
• 2 oz crème fraiche or sour cream

Method:

Sauté the onions and carrots in oil for about 10 minutes (just sweat the veggies, do not caramelize). Add butternut squash, chicken stock and remaining ingredients except apples and butter (add some salt and pepper now as you can add more when finished). Simmer until squash is tender. Next, add apples and cook 5 minutes. Remove from heat and take out bay leaves.

Puree soup in blender, food processor or hand blender until smooth. Be careful when blending hot soup, you should let it cool down a bit or it may make a huge mess. Also, if using a blender or processor, do not fill to the top as hot soup expands when blended, you may have to blend in stages.
Stir in butter and adjust with salt and pepper to taste.

*If the soup is too thick add a bit more stock
Garnish with fresh chopped sage and a little sour cream or crème fraiche

Yield: Seven 8oz portions

Bowers Harbor Inn
13512 Peninsula Dr
Traverse City, MI 49686-9717
(231) 223-4222

• See Chef Paul Olson's recipe for Cabernet Franc Braised Beef Shortribs
• See Chef Paul Olson's recipe for Bam Bier Chicken
• See Chef Don Yamauchi's recipe for Pumpkin Wontons
  
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