Recipes Delicata Squash Soup 5.0 (6,229) Add your rating & review Delicata is a cream-colored oblong squash with green stripes; its sweet flesh is deep orange-yellow.Plus: More Soup Recipes and Tips By Grant Achatz Grant Achatz Instagram Chef Grant Achatz is one of the most awarded and recognized chefs in the world. Known for his innovative, emotional, and modernist style of cuisine, he has been named Best Chef in the United States by the James Beard Foundation, honored by Time Magazine as one of the 100 Most Influential People in the World, and has given talks and lectures on gastronomy and design at conferences and universities around the world.Grant began working in restaurants as soon as he could walk. His parents owned a diner in Michigan, and he spent his childhood years working alongside his family. After graduating from the Culinary Institute of America at age 21, Grant spent a short time at Charlie Trotter's before finding his mentor in chef Thomas Keller at the French Laundry. Grant worked for a total of 5 years at the French Laundry, eventually rising to sous chef. During his time in California, he also spent a year working at La Jota vineyards. A short stage at elBulli in Roses, Spain was exceptionally influential and led Grant to seek out his first executive chef position at Trio in Evanston, IL. It was there that his creativity and desire to innovate flourished. In 2002 and 2003, respectively, Grant was recognized by Food & Wine Magazine as one of the nation's Best New Chefs and named the Rising Star Chef by the James Beard Foundation. Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines Updated on June 19, 2015 Print Rate It Share Share Tweet Pin Email Photo: © Reed Davis Yield: 8 Ingredients Three 1-pound delicata squash, halved lengthwise and seeded 3 tablespoons unsalted butter Salt and freshly ground pepper 1 small onion, chopped 1 small thyme sprig 3 cups vegetable stock, chicken stock or canned low-sodium broth 1 1/3 cups heavy cream 1/4 cup crème fraîche (optional) 1 small black truffle, shaved (optional) Directions Preheat the oven to 300°. Set the squash, cut sides up, on a rimmed baking sheet lined with foil. Add 1/2 teaspoon of the butter to each squash and season with salt and pepper. Add 1/8 inch of water to the baking sheet. Roast the squash for 45 minutes, or until tender. In a large saucepan, melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter. Add the onion and thyme and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until the onion is softened but not browned, about 5 minutes. Scrape the flesh out of the squash and add it to the saucepan along with the stock and heavy cream. Cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until the liquid has reduced by one-fourth, about 20 minutes. Puree the soup in batches in a blender or food processor. Strain into a clean saucepan and season with salt and pepper. Ladle the soup into soup plates and garnish with a dollop of crème fraîche and a fresh truffle shaving if desired. Make Ahead The strained soup can be refrigerated for up to 1 day. Suggested Pairing A Viognier with overtones of pears and peaches is a good match for the aromatic squash in the soup. Rate it Print