This soup seemed like it would be quick and easy on first glance Рhow hard is it to make a creamy squash soup? It turned out that it was easy but not quick. Delicata squash are roasted with butter, pepitas are toasted, butter is browned, vegetables are chopped and saut̩ed. An apple and some fennel plays off really nicely with the flavor of the squash.

There are two things that are key to this soup’s success. It was getting late, so we ate some before it had time to cook down after it was all put together. Don’t skip the part of the recipe where the squash cooks down – it will concentrate and become a little sweet and quite delicious. It made a big difference in flavor and texture. The second is the Sherry vinegar reduction. It’s delicious and a great ingredient to have on hand for more than just this soup. But the addition of a bit of syrupy acid really balances the flavors out and takes the soup from good to outstanding.

The recipe, using pumpkin, is posted here. The version I made uses delicata squash and a honeycrisp apple.

• Brown Butter-Delicata Squash Soup with Sherry Vinegar Reduction (Girl in the Kitchen, p. 68)