As part of my Christmas menu, I wanted a nice warm soup leaning toward healthy. But it being a big deal holiday and all, it had to have at least a little bit of indulgence. Maybe some bright colors with some fun texture to make it even more festive. With those criteria I figured something vegetable-ish sounded good. And cheesy. Don't forget about the cheese!

Normally I love chili in the winter, but that has never struck me as a starter dish. It's really more of a main course with all the beans and meat. Plus with all the spice it's difficult to pair with other foods.

Anyway, French onion soup was a contender briefly. But my little sister doesn't like onions. But the cheesy crouton gave me an idea.

Hence, winter squash soup with Gruyere croutons.

Using two different types of squash in this recipe in addition to fresh herbs gives it a nice complexity. And by throwing the same herbs on top of the croutons they pair quite well and give the nice crunch to balance the soup's smoothness.

Plus it's pretty quick and healthy. Peeling and chopping the squash is the most time consuming part of the recipe. Otherwise you basically throw everything together, simmer for awhile and then blend it.

The croutons do take a bit of effort but are completely worth it. My sisters will argue that the dish is not complete without them. And they are right...

Just in case you were interested - the rest of my Christmas menu:

• Appetizer: Baked Brie with raspberry preserves
• Soup: Winter squash soup with Gruyere croutons
• Main: Pot roast with musroom risotto and a shaved brussel sprout salad
• Dessert: Dark chocolate and christmas cookies

Now let's cook.

Start by peeling and chopping your squash. In the past I have simply split open squash, removed the seeds and then roasted them before using in recipes. This time everything went into one pot, which meant that I had to take extra time to peel everything first. Butternut squash is super easy. However, the acorn squash was a pain in the rear. Seriously, when I make this again in the future I will try to use ANY OTHER TYPE of squash (except spaghetti squash - you can't use that) other than acorn squash.

Anyway.

Chop your onions and garlic. Saute with butter for 10 minutes until tender.

Add broth, chopped squash and fresh herbs and bring to a boil. Turn down heat and simmer for 20-25 minutes until very tender.

Pull out your trusty blender. Puree in batches until silky smooth. And then puree for a little bit longer just to make sure. Add back to pan and place over low heat. Stir in whipping cream. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Prepare the croutons! These are arguably the tastiest part of the dish...

Slice the baguette. Butter one side and broil until golden brown. Flip over and cover with cheese and herbs. Broil until cheese is melted.

Serve soup with a splash of cream and 2 croutons.

Devour.

Winter Squash Soup

Adapted from Bon Appetit 
Published December 1996

Ingredients

Soup

• 4 tablespoons butter
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 1/2 quarts low sodium chicken broth
• 1 butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1 inch pieces
• 1 acorn squash, peeled and cut into 1 inch pieces
• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme, minced
• 1 teaspoon fresh sage, minced
• 1/4 cup whipping cream

Croutons

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 1 baguette, sliced into 1/4 inch slices
• 1 cup Gruyere cheese
• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme, minced
• 1 teaspoon fresh sage, minced

Instructions

1. Melt butter in a large pot over medium heat. Saute onion and garlic for 10 minutes, until tender. Add squash, broth and herbs. Bring to boil then reduce heat and simmer for about 20 minutes, until squash is very tender.
2. In a blender, puree soup in batches until very finely blended. Return soup to pot and stir in cream, heating to keep warm. Add salt and pepper to taste.
3. Before serving, prepare croutons. Preheat broiler. Butter one side of bread and place on baking sheet, toasting under broiler for 2-3 minutes until golden brown. Turn over croutons and sprinkle with grated cheese and herbs. Broil until cheese melts.
4. Garnish soup with a drizzle of cream and serve with 2 croutons.