NIGHT. ♪ >> MY NAME IS ASHLEY. I AM THE EXECUTIVE CHEF AT IDLE HOUR IN QUCY,IN MASSACHUSETTS. WE ARE AN AWESOME RESTAURANT AND PREVIOUSLY A GREAT BAR SPOT. NOW THAT WE ARE IN COVID, IT IS A LITTLE LESS AOF BAR, A LITTLE MORE OF A RESTAURANT. TAKE OUR OWN UNIQUE SPIN ON. I LOCALLY SOURCED FROM FARMS, AND WE TRY TO MAKET I AS SUSTAINABLE AS POSSIBLE. WHAT WE ARE GOING TO MAKE TODAY IS A VERY SIMPLE AND EASY BUTTERNUT SQUASH SOUP. ONCE WE D FALL, IT WILL MY FAVORITE THINGS TO MAKE. SUPER SIMPLE AT-.ME ONLY A HANDFUL OF INGREDIENTS YOU CAN VERY EASILY SOURCATE YOUR LOCAL FARM OR FARMERS MARKET OR GROCERY STORE FIRST THING WE ARE GOING TO GET GOING IS SOME ONION. DON’T WORRY TOO MUCH ABOUT HOW YOU’RE CUTTING THIS. I JUST DO A NICE JULIEN REAL QUICK. I’M ONLY GOING TO USE HALF AN ONION BECAUSE I DON’T WANT TO BE THIS ABOUT THE OONNI. I WANT THIS TO BE ABOUT THE BUTTERNUT SQUASH. THEN WE ARE GOING TO GET SOME OLIVE OIL IN A PAN. WE ARE GOING TO PUT IT ON ABOUT MEDIUM HEAT BECAUSE WE JUST WANT TO SWEAT IT OUT. MAYBE CARAMELIZE AIT LTLE BIT, BUT NOT A LOT. DUMP THE ONIONS INTO THE POT. I LIKEO T SALT MY ONIONS SO THEY SWEAT OUT A LITTLE BIT. NEXT TNGHI WE ARE GOING TO DO IS SOME CELERY AND SOME GARLIC. FOR THE GARLIC, I AM JUST USING TWO CLOVES. I’M GO TO SMASH THEM WITH THE SIDE OF MY KNIFE, AND THESE GO IN ATO POT. PEELERS ARE PROBABLY THE THINGS WE BLEW THROUGH THE QUICKEST THIS TIME OF YEAR BECAUSE WE USE THEM A LOT. JUST PEEL IT SO YOU DON’T LOSE A LOT OF YOUR N SQUASH. I’M GOING TO TCU THIS NICE AND SMALL SO IT COOKS QUICKLY. BUT YOU’RE JUST GOING TO DICE IT UP. IT DOESN’T MATTER WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE. YOU JUST WANT IT TO BE RELATIVELY EVEN. WE ARE SRTTAING TO GET A DECENT AMOUNT OF COLOR ON THEM, SO I’M GOING TO TURN THE HEAT AND SO THEY CAN SWEAT OUR LITTLE BIT WITHOUT GETTING TOO MUCH COLOR. DON'T’HAVE TO WORRY TOO MUCH ABOUT WHAT THIS LOOKS LIKE. IT IS ALL GOING TO GET PUREED. THERE ARE THINGS YOU DO FOR SPEED, AND THERE ARE THINGS YOU DO FOR LOVE. YOU’RE JUST DOING THIS FOR SP EED. THEN WE ARE GOING TO ADD THIS TO OUR SWEATINGNIS. O NEXT WE ARE GOING TO PEEL THE APPLES. THESE ARE CORTLAND APPLES. THE REASON ISE U CORTLAND IS JUST BECAUSE THEY ARE A LITTLE BIT FIRMER ANATD THE -- AND A LITTLE MORE TART. THEY ARE A GREAT ACHING APPLE. WE USE THE- - GREAT ACHING APPLE. -- GAT BAKING APPLE. WE USE THEM IN OUR FRENCH APPLE CAKE THAT WE HAVE NOW. AS YOU CAN SEE, IT IS G AOOD AMOUNT OF BUTTERNUT SQUASH, A LITTLE BIT OF APPLE. YOU CAN SEE A LITTLE BUT OF THE ONIONS FLOATING AROUND IN THERE. THAT IS WHAT YOU’RE LOOKING FOR BECAUSA E SQUASH SOUP IS ALL ABOUT THE SQUASH. NEXT WE ARE GOING TO GET SOME SAGE IN THERE .I AM PROBABLY GOING TO USE JUST ONEPR S.IG WE CAN ALWAYS ADD MORE, BUT WE DON’T WANT IT TO BE EXTREMELY SAGE HEAVY TO START. NOW I AM AT AOI PNT WHERE THERE IS SO MUCH MOISTURE COMING OUT OF THE VEGETABLES, WE ARE NOT GOING TO SEE ANYREMO COLOR. THIS IS JUST A POT OF SOME CHICKEN STOCK. WE ARE GONG TO LET THAT SIMMER DOWN. WE ARE ALSO GOING TO ADD OUR SA.GE WE DON’T WANTOT ADD IT BEFORE THAT BECAUSE WE DON’T WANT IT TO BURN. TURN THAT DOWN TO MEDIUM AND LET IT SIMMER JUST UNTIL EVERYTHING IS SOFT ENOUGH TO PUREE. WE ARE AT A POINT NOW WHERE WE CAN PUREE IT. THE APPLES HAVE STARTED TO BREAK DOWN. THE ONIONS ARE NICE AND SOFT. THE BUTTERNUT SQUASH IS NICE AND SOFT. WE DON’T WANT IT TO GO TOO FAR, BUT WE WANT TO GET A NICE, SMOOTH SOUP. WE ARE GOING TO LAEDL SOME INTO A BLENDER. WANT TO MAKEURE YOU HAVE ABOUT HALF THE AMOTUN OF STUFF IN THE BLENDER SO IT DOESN’T EXPLODE ON YOU. A COUPLE TOFHINGS WHEN YOU ARE BLENDINGT A HOME, THIS IS A HOT LIQUID. YOU WANT TO MAKE SURE YOU DO TNO HAVE A CAP ON THIS, OR IF YOU DO, THAT IT HAS SOME SORT OF VE.NT OTHERWISE YOU’RE ARE GOING TO CREATE A PRESSEUR VACUUM, THIS IS GOING TO EXPLODE EVERYWHERE, AND YOU WILL HAVE AN AWFUL MESS TURN IT ON NICE AND LOW, AND THEN TURN IT UP GRADUALLY. NOT TOO TCKHI. I SENT CREAMY -- NICEND CREAMY. DON’T BURN YOURSELF. MM. THAT IS DELICIOUS. A LITTLE BIT OF SALT, MAYBE A TINY BIT MORE SAGE, AND WE ARE GOOD TO GO. I LIKE TO ADD A LITTLE BIT OF ALL OF OIL ON THE FINHIS -- OF OLIVE OIL ON THE FINISH. THEN WE ARE GOING TO SPIN IT. WE DON’T NEED TO GOG LON BECSEAU WE HAVE ALREADY GOTTEN IT TO A NICE, SMOOTH CONSISTENCY. THEN YOU HAVE A NE,IC BEAUTIFUL BUTTERNUT SQUASH SOUP. I LIKE TO GARNHIS IT WITH A LITTLE BIT MORE OLIVE OIL, AND THEN A NICE PIEEC OF SAGE. SUPER SIMPLE, EASY TO MAKE AT HOMEAND, DELICIOUS. SHAYNA: CHEF ASHLEY SAYS SHE STAYS SEANASOL AT IDLE HOUR. YOU WO’'T FIND TOMATOES ON HER MENU IN JANUARY BECAUSE THEY ARE OUT OF SEASON. SHE CHANGES HEMER REGULARLY, DEPENDING ON WHAT SHE CAN SOURCE FROM LOCAL FAR
Warm up with Executive Chef Gaboriault's seasonal butternut squash soup
A feast full of fall flavors is on the menu tonight! Chef Ashley Gaboriault of Quincy’s Idle Hour shows us how to whip up an easy (and yummy) butternut squash soup
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Updated: 2:57 PM EDT Oct 20, 2021
Chef Ashley Gaboriault is all about staying local and seasonal. She often changes her menu up at Idle Hour in Quincy, Massachusetts. Here is her recipe for Butternut Squash Soup:Ingredients: 1 whole butternut squash (approximately 2 1/2-3#)1/2 Spanish onion1 small stalk of celery2 garlic cloves3-4 large Cortland apples2-3 quarts of chicken or vegetable stock1-2 sprigs of sagesaltDirections:Peel the butternut squash and then cut it in half, separating the top from the bulb at the bottom. Next, cut the bulb at the bottom in half and remove all the seeds. Cut the butternut squash up into small pieces (roughly 1-inch cubes). Once that is done, put it in a bowl, and take out the onion. Peel the onion, cut it in half, and then dice the onion up into pieces, the size doesn't matter much as it will cook down quickly.Roughly chop the celery next. Then remove the leaves from the sage, roll them up and slice them thinly. Next, take the two garlic cloves and smash them with the side of your knife to break them up a little. Get a pot large enough to fit all of your ingredients and turn it to medium-high heat. Pour a small amount of oil (canola or EVOO) into the bottom. When the oil is hot, add your onion, celery, and garlic. While that is starting to caramelize a little, peel your apples and cut them into four pieces, removing the core. After the onion, garlic, and celery have cooked for about 3-5 minutes and started developing a little color, add your butternut squash and cook for another couple of minutes. Salt the vegetables at this point.Next, add your chicken stock, half the sage you have, and the apples. Your chicken stock should just barely cover the vegetables, you can always thin it out with some more stock later, but you don't want it to be too watery at the end. Cook until all the vegetables are soft, at which point shut the heat off. Let the soup cool a little bit before you spin it in the blender. Working in small batches, spin the soup in the blender. Taste it as you go and add more salt or sage as necessary. If you are having trouble with it blending add a little more stock, but don't add too much or you'll lose the thick creaminess of the soup.Once it's all spun and in a container, mix it all together and check your seasonings one more time. Ladle into a bowl, garnish with a little EVOO, sage (we like our sage fried), and enjoy!
NEEDHAM, Mass. — Chef Ashley Gaboriault is all about staying local and seasonal. She often changes her menu up at Idle Hour in Quincy, Massachusetts. Here is her recipe for Butternut Squash Soup:
Ingredients:
- 1 whole butternut squash (approximately 2 1/2-3#)
- 1/2 Spanish onion
- 1 small stalk of celery
- 2 garlic cloves
- 3-4 large Cortland apples
- 2-3 quarts of chicken or vegetable stock
- 1-2 sprigs of sage
- salt
Directions:
Peel the butternut squash and then cut it in half, separating the top from the bulb at the bottom. Next, cut the bulb at the bottom in half and remove all the seeds. Cut the butternut squash up into small pieces (roughly 1-inch cubes). Once that is done, put it in a bowl, and take out the onion. Peel the onion, cut it in half, and then dice the onion up into pieces, the size doesn't matter much as it will cook down quickly.
Roughly chop the celery next. Then remove the leaves from the sage, roll them up and slice them thinly. Next, take the two garlic cloves and smash them with the side of your knife to break them up a little. Get a pot large enough to fit all of your ingredients and turn it to medium-high heat. Pour a small amount of oil (canola or EVOO) into the bottom. When the oil is hot, add your onion, celery, and garlic. While that is starting to caramelize a little, peel your apples and cut them into four pieces, removing the core. After the onion, garlic, and celery have cooked for about 3-5 minutes and started developing a little color, add your butternut squash and cook for another couple of minutes. Salt the vegetables at this point.
Next, add your chicken stock, half the sage you have, and the apples. Your chicken stock should just barely cover the vegetables, you can always thin it out with some more stock later, but you don't want it to be too watery at the end. Cook until all the vegetables are soft, at which point shut the heat off. Let the soup cool a little bit before you spin it in the blender. Working in small batches, spin the soup in the blender. Taste it as you go and add more salt or sage as necessary. If you are having trouble with it blending add a little more stock, but don't add too much or you'll lose the thick creaminess of the soup.
Once it's all spun and in a container, mix it all together and check your seasonings one more time. Ladle into a bowl, garnish with a little EVOO, sage (we like our sage fried), and enjoy!
