This recipe has many steps but it’s still simple. If you choose not to roast the seeds, it only takes away a few minutes from the time. The seeds are roasted with the squash and removed after about 10 - 15 minutes. It’s great for a garnish or perfect for snacking.If you sprinkle the seeds on the soup, eat right away or the seeds will soften and be chewy rather than crunchy.
Scoop out the seeds with a spoon and place in a bowl. Add some water and separate the seeds from any stringy flesh. Transfer into a small pot of salted water. Bring to a boil and boil for 10 minutes. Drain.
Dry the seeds thoroughly with paper towels and place in a small bowl. Add a tiny drizzle of a neutral oil. Add a pinch of kosher salt, pepper to your taste, and any optional add-ins if you like.
Transfer onto a parchment lined baking sheet. Roast along with the squash but remove after 15 - 20 minutes until golden. You may hear them start to pop.
ROAST SQUASH:
Line a baking sheet with parchment. Rub the inside of the squash with oil and place them on the baking sheet cut side down.
Roast for 50 to 60 minutes until it’s fork-tender and completely cooked through. Depending on the size, it may take about 10 minutes longer. Set aside to cool. You’ll notice charred marks on the skin and then some blistering, That’s fine.
TO MAKE SOUP:
Meanwhile, in a stock pot over medium heat, add 2 tablespoons of the butter and onions. Saute until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and sage leaves, see notes, and saute a minute or two. Remove from heat and transfer into a blender.
Scoop out all of the flesh from the squash into the blender. Add about half of the vegetable broth or more into the blender. We need some liquid to get it going. Blend until smooth.
Add the remaining 2 tablespoons butter in the pot over medium high heat. Once it starts melting, add the nutmeg, turmeric, salt, pepper, and cayenne.
Once the spices are fragrant, carefully pour soup back into pot. You can do this off heat and be careful because the soup can splatter. Add remaining broth into blender and gently swirl to "wash" it out then add into pot.
Stir in the brown sugar. Start with 2 tablespoons and add more if you like. I use all 4 tablespoons. Taste and add salt to your taste.
Serve topped with the toasted squash seeds or save them as a snack. The seeds will soften in the soup the longer it sits. Garnish then eat or just leave the seeds on the side as a snack.
Notes
*You can use ½ teaspoon ground sage instead of the sage leaves. Just add it in when adding in the other spices.**If you want the true benefits of turmeric, it needs black pepper to activate it. Turmeric is known for its anti-inflammatory benefits. I chop the onions and garlic rather than dice and mince - which I do in most of my recipes - because the soup is blended.When blending the squash, you may want to blend half the amount at a time with some of the broth. I have a Vitamix and I can do it all at once, but if you have a regular or smaller blender, then blend half with some stock and continue with step 9, then blend and add the other half.