Recipes to Rival: November Challenge, Butternut Squash Soup with Miso

Fall is of course soup time. With it's warm steamy presence on a cool day, nothing could be more comforting. Well, I guess there are a few things that are more comforting.

This soup is so incredibly tastey. I really would have never thought of putting miso with butternut squash but hey that's why I love Recipes to Rival. You make recipes that you might not necessarily think of making. And, so far, I have been wowed by all the recipes.

I highly recommend making this soup. I used butternut as I seem to have a surplus of it right now. The creme fraiche with vanilla was okay. For me the flavor in this soup that really made it great, was the miso.

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Squash Soup with Vanilla Creme Fraiche
Top Chef recipe
Please see the original inspiration here.

Prep Time: one hour and 30 minutes
Serves: more than 8 (I estimate about 20)
Spike & Andrew's recipe:

Mirepoix:

3 sliced leek bottoms (rinsed)
4 carrots (peeled and sliced)
10 shallots (peeled and sliced)
1 clove garlic
1/2 lb butter
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup miso stir
Salt and pepper

Squash:

butternut
Oil for rubbing
Salt and pepper

Vegetable Stock:

4 quarts water
2 white onions
4 carrots, peeled
2 leeks
6-8 button mushrooms
Bouquet garnish (parsley, bay leaves, peppercorns)

I used turkey stock.

Vanilla Creme Fraiche:

Creme fraiche
2 vanilla beans

Additional Ingredients:

Salt to taste
Cayenne to taste

DIRECTIONS:
Mirepoix:
Sweat all of the vegetables with butter. Sweat down and deglaze with honey. Stir and add miso. Season with salt and pepper.
Squash:
Cut squash in half, scoop out seeds and reserve one butternut head for garnish. Rub squash with oil and season with salt and pepper. Place one piece of sage under every piece of squash. Place squash face down on a sheet tray and roast at 350 degrees until done. Scoop flesh out and pass through a ricer.
Vegetable Stock:
In a pot, boil all ingredients together with the exception of the bouquet garnishes. (NOTE:allow to simmer for at least 1 hour)
Vanilla Creme Fraiche:
Whip creme fraiche and scrape vanilla beans and fold in.
Soup:
Combine squash and vegetable stock to desired consistency. Add mirepoix and cook. Blend with a vita prep and strain through a chinois. Season with salt and cayenne.
To Plate:
Add 6 ounces of soup in bowl and spoon in creme fraiche. Garnish with bouquet garnishes.