Recipes › Sage › Butternut Squash and Sage Soup with Toasted Sage Oil
Butternut Squash and Sage Soup with Toasted Sage Oil
A deeply savoury roasted squash soup made fragrant with a generous quantity of fresh sage cooked into the base, then finished with a bright green sage-infused oil drizzled over each bowl. The double use of sage — once in the soup, once as the finishing oil — means every mouthful delivers that distinctive camphor warmth without ever tipping into bitterness.
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Ingredients
- 45 fresh sage leaves, 25g roughly torn for the soup base, 20g left whole for the oil
- 1200 g butternut squash, peeled, deseeded, cut into 4cm chunksCrown Prince or any dense winter squash works well
- 2 brown onions, roughly chopped
- 5 garlic cloves, unpeeled
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- 900 ml vegetable stock, hot
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 pinch nutmeg, freshly grated
- 60 ml extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp flaky sea salt
- 1 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
- 30 g pumpkin seeds, toasted in a dry pan (optional)
Contains: milk.
Method
- Preheat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan). Spread the squash chunks, chopped onion, and unpeeled garlic cloves on a large roasting tray. Drizzle over 2 tablespoons of olive oil, season well with salt and pepper, and toss to coat. Roast for 40 minutes, turning once halfway, until the squash is tender and catching colour at the edges.About 40 min
- While the squash roasts, make the sage oil. Put the 20g of whole sage leaves in a small blender or the cup of a stick blender with the 60ml of extra virgin olive oil. Blitz for 45 seconds until smooth and bright green. Pass through a fine sieve into a small bowl, pressing firmly to extract all the oil. Set aside.About 5 min
- With 10 minutes of roasting time remaining, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat. Add the torn sage leaves, cumin, and nutmeg. Fry for 2 minutes until the sage is fragrant and just starting to wilt.About 2 min
- When the squash is ready, remove the roasting tray from the oven. Squeeze the roasted garlic cloves from their skins directly into the saucepan. Add all the roasted squash and onion to the pan. Pour in the hot vegetable stock and stir to combine. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 5 minutes.About 7 min
- Use a stick blender to blitz the soup until completely smooth. If it is too thick, add a little more stock or boiling water to reach your preferred consistency. Taste and adjust the seasoning — it will likely need more salt than you expect.About 3 min
- Ladle into warm bowls. Drizzle a generous tablespoon of the green sage oil over each portion, scatter over the toasted pumpkin seeds if using, and finish with a final crack of black pepper.About 1 min
Tips
- Roasting the squash rather than simply boiling it makes an enormous difference — the caramelised edges add a deeper, sweeter flavour that boiling cannot replicate.
- The sage oil keeps in a sealed jar in the fridge for up to a week and is wonderful drizzled over white beans, pasta, or grilled vegetables.
- If your blender struggles with hot liquids, leave the soup to cool for 10 minutes before blitzing in batches with the lid held down firmly.
Ring the changes
- Swirl in 100ml of coconut cream before serving for a richer, more substantial texture and a gentle sweetness.
- Add a pinch of dried chilli flakes to the sage and cumin when frying for a quiet warmth that runs through the whole bowl.
Keeping it
Soup keeps refrigerated for up to 4 days. Store the sage oil separately in the fridge. Both freeze well for up to 3 months — freeze the oil in an ice cube tray for easy portioning.
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