Spicy Roasted Butternut Squash Soup with Sweet Corn Ice Cream
Roasted butternut squash provides a savory base for a sweet corn ice cream—which is made by steeping fresh corn cobs in dairy to capture their full flavor. As the ice cream melts into the warm soup, it creates a dynamic interplay of temperature, color, flavor, and texture. Toppings inspired by elote, or Mexican street corn, add brightness, spice, and crunch.
Ingredients
Spicy Roasted Butternut Squash Soup
- 2 –2½ pounds butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cubed
- 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 tablespoon vegetable stock concentrate (Better Than Bouillon) dissolved in 4 cups water
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon ground coriander
- ¼ –½ teaspoon cayenne, to taste
- salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Sweet Corn Ice Cream
- 4-5 ears fresh sweet corn
- 1 1/2 cups whole milk
- 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
- 1/2 cup sugar (adjust to taste)
- 5 egg yolks
- pinch salt
For garnish:
- crumbled queso fresco
- lime zest or quartered limes
- fresh cilantro, chopped
- toasted pepitas
- cayenne or chili powder
- freshly popped popcorn, lightly salted
Instructions
To make the ice cream:
- Combine corn kernels, reserved cobs, milk, and cream in a saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Remove from heat and steep for 30 minutes.
- Remove cobs and blend mixture thoroughly using an immersion blender.
- In a separate bowl, whisk egg yolks with sugar. Slowly whisk in about 1 cup of the warm corn mixture to gently temper the yolks, then return yolk mixture to the saucepan.
- Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens slightly and coats the back of a spoon. Do not bring to a boil. Remove from heat immediately.
- To ensure a smooth texture, strain mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean bowl, pressing on solids to extract as much of the liquid as possible.
- Stir in a pinch of salt, cover, and chill completely.
- Churn in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer’s instructions. Freeze until soft and scoopable.**
To make the soup:
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Toss squash with 2 tablespoons olive oil, salt, and pepper. Spread on a parchment-covered sheet pan and roast until tender and lightly caramelized, 30–35 minutes.
- In a large pot, sauté onion in remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat until soft and translucent, 5–7 minutes. Add chopped garlic and cook for 1–2 minutes.
- Add roasted squash, prepared stock, cumin, coriander, cayenne, salt, and pepper. Simmer 10–15 minutes to meld flavors.
- Purée until smooth using an immersion blender or in batches in a standard blender. (Immersion blender will yield a slightly more textured soup; a standard blender will produce a smoother purée.)
- Taste and adjust seasonings. Rewarm before serving.
To serve:
- Ladle hot (not boiling) soup into shallow bowls. Add a small scoop of sweet corn ice cream to the center of each bowl. Garnish with toppings as desired and serve immediately. The ice cream will soften and begin to melt into the soup, creating a shifting balance of flavors and textures.
Notes
RECIPE TIPS
* Stand an ear of corn, stem end up, in the center hole of a Bundt pan. Holding the stem, slice downward with a sharp chef’s knife, cutting close to the cob.
** If you don’t have an ice cream maker, pour the chilled base into a shallow dish and freeze. Stir vigorously every 30–45 minutes until it reaches a soft, scoopable consistency. Texture will be slightly less smooth, but will still work well in the soup.
