Squash Velouté with Hazelnut Crumble Topping

This recipe was provided by Sally Evans from Château George 7, tailored to pair beautifully with the Château 7 AOC Fronsac, Grand Vin de Bordeaux, 2019.

 

Squash velouté, a staple of French cuisine, elevates humble squash into a luxuriously smooth and creamy soup. This velvety dish begins with a base of roux—butter and flour— combined with a light stock to create a luscious texture. Enhanced with the natural sweetness of squash, such as butternut or pumpkin, this soup is served piping hot, garnished with fragrant herbs, crispy croutons, or a delicate swirl of cream for an irresistible presentation and flavour.

 

Prep: 20 mins
Cook: 30 mins
Serves: 6

 

INGREDIENTS
• 1.5 kg pumpkin or butternut Squash
• 45 ml (3 tbsp) olive oil
• 1 shallot chopped finely
• 1 medium-sized potato peeled and diced
• 500 ml hot vegetable stock
• Salt and pepper
• 50 g butter, diced small
• 50 g flour
• 50 g grated Parmesan cheese
• 30 g hazelnuts
• 1 large slice of sourdough or wholemeal bread
• 50 g blue cheese
• 1 handful of sprouting seeds such as leeks or alfalfa

 

METHOD

1. Peel and cut the pumpkin into cubes; discard the seeds. In a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat, put 30 ml (2 tbsp_ of olive oil and cook the shallot, potato and pumpkin for 5 minutes without browning. Add the hot vegetable stock. Bring to a boil, uncover, and let simmer until the vegetables are cooked. Season to taste.

 

2. Remove from the heat and blend until smooth adding a little water if it is too thick. Keep warm.

 

3. Preheat the oven to 350 °F. In a bowl, rub the cubed butter into the flour with your fingertips. Mix in the Parmesan cheese and the roughly chopped hazelnuts. Place this mixture on a baking sheet, covered with parchment paper. Bake in the oven until the crumble turns golden brown. Take out of the oven and set aside.

 

4. Cut the slice of bread into cubes and in a hot pan with 1 tbsp of olive oil, brown the croutons until they turn golden. Set them aside on a plate covered with absorbent paper. Cut the cheese into small cubes.

 

5. Pour the velouté into the soup plates, sprinkle on the croutons, the hazelnut crumble and a few cubes of blue cheese. Finish with sprouted shoots. Serve piping hot.