We give a lot of guidance because I am a Soup Culineer, but please, if you are experienced, just look at the ingredients and the process and shoot from the hip!

Ingredient:	8 servings	4 servings
Olive oil	1 Tbsp	2 tsp
Celery, oblique cut	1 cup (~ 4 stalks)	½ cup (2 stalks)
Carrots, peeled, oblique cut	2 large (¾ cup)	1 large (⅓ cup)
Onion, diced (optional)	¼ cup	2 Tbsp
Chicken broth, divided	64 oz	32 oz
Butter (I prefer salted)	2 Tbsp to start	1 Tbsp to start
Thyme, ground	¾ tsp	¼+ tsp
Sage, dried	½ tsp	¼ tsp
Soy sauce, green top	1 Tbsp	2 tsp scant
Cayenne pepper (optional)	¼ tsp	⅛ tsp

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Optional garnishes / toppings

• Toasted large bread crumbs or croutons
• Feta cheese, crumbled
• Sage leaves, frizzled
• Cilantro, chopped (strange but true!)
• Prosciutto, thin strips, 1 oz per serving, quick crisp-up in a skillet with a touch of oil

Cook’s Notes on Ingredients / Inputs – Important !

• For those with allium problems, the onion is optional.  I leave it out.
• At first, just cover the veg’s with broth and about another ½ inch.  Depending on a lot of things, you will probably want to add more stock at the end.
• First, taste the broth/stock to assess its saltiness and umami.  There is such a wide variety!  If it is thin in savoryness, add a little more green top soy sauce or a touch of Worcestershire. Needless to say, please don’t add much salt until the end.  Some broths are very salty, especially once they cook down.
• Carrots and celery come in all different sizes!  They are mild, though, so don’t obsess about quantity.
• If you need to be gluten free, adjust which chicken stock and soy sauce you use.

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Roast the Butternut (see our post here for additional Butternut info and trivia)

• Cut into four or six sections, depending on size, and scoop out seeds.  Okay to leave on peel.
• In oven or air fryer, spray or rub cut surfaces lightly with oil and a sea salt sprinkle.
• Bake in air fryer 325° for about 30 minutes, or oven at 375° for 30 to 45 minutes.  Since it’s going in soup, it doesn’t have to be super-super soft through; you just want that nice char on the cut surfaces.

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Soup Base to make while Butternut is cooling:

• Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium-high heat. Add celery, carrots, and onion; sauté until vegetables begin to soften, about 10 minutes (well, the carrot really won’t be soft, but that’s okay).  

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Finish the Soup and let it achieve harmony:

1. Scoop roasted squash from peel and add to soup base
2. Add chicken stock to cover vegetables + about ½ inch
3. Season with everything else: thyme, sage, soy sauce, cayenne pepper
4. Bring to a boil, reduce to low, simmer vegetables to tender, (30 minutes). Remove from heat.
5. Let soup cool slightly. Blend with an immersion blender. Add more chicken stock to thin to desired consistency.
6. Ladle soup into bowls and top with desired topping(s).