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Photo: Ali Redmond
Active Time:30 minsTotal Time:2 hrsServings:8Jump to Nutrition Facts
Active Time:30 minsTotal Time:2 hrsServings:8
Active Time:30 mins
Active Time:
30 mins
Total Time:2 hrs
Total Time:
2 hrs
Servings:8
Servings:
8
Jump to Nutrition Facts
Jump to recipe
One Bite of This Soup Transports Me Back to Julia Child’s Vacation Home in France
Some people come back from their travels with photos and refrigerator magnets. After visiting Julia Child’s former summer home in the south of France, known as La Pitchoune (The Little Thing), in 2010, I returned with a recipe.
Julia and her husband, Paul, built the small house in 1963, and it was where they spent summers and as much time in between as they could. When Paul fell ill and their friend and neighbor Simone Beck died, Julia sold the house. American Kathie Alex bought it in 1993.
Julia’s kitchen remained pretty much as she had always had it, a warm and cozy beacon. Dark green tiles served as a backsplash, butcher block counters sat atop dark wood cabinets, terracotta-tiled floors beneath. Earthenware pitchers held bouquets of wooden spoons. Skillets, knives and kitchen utensils hung from Paul’s precise pegboard. A high open shelf along one wall displayed framed mementos and a soup terrine in the shape of a duck fluffing its tail feathers.
Afternoons meant lingering lunches. For one particularly memorable one, the chef prepared everything in a wood-fired oven blazing with chestnut wood, charry and delicious. We visited Grasse, smelling the scent of lavender before we even got to the perfume town. Then, on the way back to La Pitchoune, stopping to shop for local wine and a baguette or two. Finally, there was dinner, cooking and enjoying the meal with friends.
Those experiences came together as the ingredients of this soup. Golden and velvety, it brightens and soothes, just what we need when winter sets in. The color of a setting winter sun or glowing embers, this soup tastes like Julia’s kitchen feels. A scoop of delicate savory, smoky custard and a sprinkling of grated Parmesan and chopped chives make every spoonful taste like an adventure, just a little bit different from the previous one.
Cook Mode(Keep screen awake)Ingredients4poundswinter squash, such as butternut, halved lengthwise, seeds and fibrous material removed2headsgarlic1tablespoonextra-virgin olive oil2tablespoonsunsalted butter3largeleeks, trimmed, sliced lengthwise and rinsed well, white part only finely chopped5cupsunsalted chicken or vegetable broth, plus more as needed1 ¾teaspoonssmoked salt, divided (see Note)½teaspoonground white pepper, divided2cupswhole milk7large egg yolksFinely grated Parmesan cheese and snipped fresh chives for garnish
Cook Mode(Keep screen awake)
Ingredients
4poundswinter squash, such as butternut, halved lengthwise, seeds and fibrous material removed
2headsgarlic
1tablespoonextra-virgin olive oil
2tablespoonsunsalted butter
3largeleeks, trimmed, sliced lengthwise and rinsed well, white part only finely chopped
5cupsunsalted chicken or vegetable broth, plus more as needed
1 ¾teaspoonssmoked salt, divided (see Note)
½teaspoonground white pepper, divided
2cupswhole milk
7large egg yolks
Finely grated Parmesan cheese and snipped fresh chives for garnish
DirectionsPreheat oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and coat an 8-inch-square baking dish with cooking spray.Place squash halves, cut-sides down, on the prepared baking sheet. Trim ½ inch from papery ends of garlic heads, so that the tips show; brush with oil. Wrap the garlic heads tightly in foil and place on the prepared baking sheet. Roast until the squash and garlic are tender, 45 to 50 minutes.Meanwhile, melt butter in a large saucepan over medium-low heat. Add leeks; cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned, about 20 minutes.When the squash is done, scoop the tender flesh into the pot (discard the skin). Transfer the garlic to a plate. Reduce oven temperature to 300°.Add broth to the pot. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes. Puree the soup, in batches, in a blender or food processor, or use an immersion blender. (Use caution when blending hot liquids.) Stir in 11/2 teaspoons smoked salt and 1/4 teaspoon white pepper. Keep warm over low heat. (If the soup is too thick, thin it with a little extra broth to reach desired consistency.)Meanwhile, squeeze the garlic cloves out of the papery skin into a food processor. Add milk, egg yolks and the remaining ¼ teaspoon each white pepper and smoked salt; process until smooth. Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a 4-cup measure or medium bowl; pour into the prepared baking dish.Bake the custard until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean, 55 to 60 minutes.To serve, scoop some warm custard into each bowl and pour the warm soup around and over it. Sprinkle with Parmesan and chives, if desired.To make aheadRefrigerate roasted squash and garlic (Steps 1-2) for up to 2 days.EquipmentParchment paperNoteSmoked salt is salt that has been infused with smoke in a smoker. Look for it with other types of salt in well-stocked grocery stores.Originally appeared: EatingWell.com, January 2023
Directions
Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and coat an 8-inch-square baking dish with cooking spray.Place squash halves, cut-sides down, on the prepared baking sheet. Trim ½ inch from papery ends of garlic heads, so that the tips show; brush with oil. Wrap the garlic heads tightly in foil and place on the prepared baking sheet. Roast until the squash and garlic are tender, 45 to 50 minutes.Meanwhile, melt butter in a large saucepan over medium-low heat. Add leeks; cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned, about 20 minutes.When the squash is done, scoop the tender flesh into the pot (discard the skin). Transfer the garlic to a plate. Reduce oven temperature to 300°.Add broth to the pot. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes. Puree the soup, in batches, in a blender or food processor, or use an immersion blender. (Use caution when blending hot liquids.) Stir in 11/2 teaspoons smoked salt and 1/4 teaspoon white pepper. Keep warm over low heat. (If the soup is too thick, thin it with a little extra broth to reach desired consistency.)Meanwhile, squeeze the garlic cloves out of the papery skin into a food processor. Add milk, egg yolks and the remaining ¼ teaspoon each white pepper and smoked salt; process until smooth. Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a 4-cup measure or medium bowl; pour into the prepared baking dish.Bake the custard until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean, 55 to 60 minutes.To serve, scoop some warm custard into each bowl and pour the warm soup around and over it. Sprinkle with Parmesan and chives, if desired.To make aheadRefrigerate roasted squash and garlic (Steps 1-2) for up to 2 days.EquipmentParchment paperNoteSmoked salt is salt that has been infused with smoke in a smoker. Look for it with other types of salt in well-stocked grocery stores.
Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and coat an 8-inch-square baking dish with cooking spray.
Place squash halves, cut-sides down, on the prepared baking sheet. Trim ½ inch from papery ends of garlic heads, so that the tips show; brush with oil. Wrap the garlic heads tightly in foil and place on the prepared baking sheet. Roast until the squash and garlic are tender, 45 to 50 minutes.
Meanwhile, melt butter in a large saucepan over medium-low heat. Add leeks; cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned, about 20 minutes.
When the squash is done, scoop the tender flesh into the pot (discard the skin). Transfer the garlic to a plate. Reduce oven temperature to 300°.
Add broth to the pot. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes. Puree the soup, in batches, in a blender or food processor, or use an immersion blender. (Use caution when blending hot liquids.) Stir in 11/2 teaspoons smoked salt and 1/4 teaspoon white pepper. Keep warm over low heat. (If the soup is too thick, thin it with a little extra broth to reach desired consistency.)
Meanwhile, squeeze the garlic cloves out of the papery skin into a food processor. Add milk, egg yolks and the remaining ¼ teaspoon each white pepper and smoked salt; process until smooth. Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a 4-cup measure or medium bowl; pour into the prepared baking dish.
Bake the custard until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean, 55 to 60 minutes.
To serve, scoop some warm custard into each bowl and pour the warm soup around and over it. Sprinkle with Parmesan and chives, if desired.
To make ahead
Refrigerate roasted squash and garlic (Steps 1-2) for up to 2 days.
Equipment
Parchment paper
Note
Smoked salt is salt that has been infused with smoke in a smoker. Look for it with other types of salt in well-stocked grocery stores.
Originally appeared: EatingWell.com, January 2023
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Nutrition Facts(per serving)278Calories11gFat40gCarbs10gProtein
Nutrition Facts(per serving)
- Daily Values (DVs) are the recommended amounts of nutrients to consume each day. Percent Daily Value (%DV) found on nutrition labels tells you how much a serving of a particular food or recipe contributes to each of those total recommended amounts. Per the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the daily value is based on a standard 2,000 calorie diet. Depending on your calorie needs or if you have a health condition, you may need more or less of particular nutrients. (For example, it’s recommended that people following a heart-healthy diet eat less sodium on a daily basis compared to those following a standard diet.)
(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a special diet for medical reasons, be sure to consult with your primary care provider or a registered dietitian to better understand your personal nutrition needs.
