There’s nothing quite as satisfying and warming as homemade soup. If the recipe is easy, so much the better. Pair that soup with a delicious white wine and your meal is complete. We recently proved that point after receiving a bottle of Chalk Hill Estate Sauvignon Blanc from the winery as a tasting sample along with a butternut squash harvested from the Chalk Hill Estate culinary garden.
I briefly considered roasted butternut squash risotto to pair with the Chalk Hill Sauvignon Blanc, and I’m sure it would have been delicious as well, but I had a hankering for soup. So soup it was, garnished with bacon.
2019 Chalk Hill Estate Sauvignon Blanc, Chalk Hill, Sonoma County — pale yellow in the glass with aromas of peaches and pears. Flavors follow with yellow peaches, pears, gravelly minerality and hints of grassy hay. The wine has a bit of roundness in the mouth with nice acidity that keeps the flavors light and bright. 14.6% abv. SRP $33
Beautiful aromatics are followed by complex stone fruit flavors, a bit of roundness and only a hint of grassiness. The wine was fermented in barrel with bi-weekly stirring for three months. The wine then aged in 59% French oak (13% new) and 41% stainless steel for 7 months. All that extra care in the winemaking is evident in the flavors and mouthfeel of the wine.
Chalk Hill is part of Foley Family Wines and is located off Chalk Hill Road not far from Windsor in the Sonoma County AVA of the same name. The 1300-acre property includes 350 acres of vineyards, wilderness area, winery, culinary garden, hospitality center, stables and equestrian center as well as a residence.
After perusing several roasted butternut squash soup recipes online I made a version using the ingredients I had on hand: butternut squash, onion, chicken stock, half & half and bacon. That’s it, I kept it simple and used curry powder to add an interesting spice flavor. We gobbled it up!
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Roasted Butternut Squash Soup Ingredients
1 butternut squash, peeled and diced
1 onion, sliced
2 cups chicken stock
1/2 cup half & half
Salt & pepper to taste
1/2 teaspoon curry powder (or to taste)
Olive oil for roasting squash and onions
2 strips bacon, diced and sautéed until crisp
Directions
- Preheat oven to 375ºF
- Add peeled and diced butternut squash and sliced onion to a roasting pan and drizzle with olive oil. Add salt and pepper and toss to coat the vegetables.
- Roast squash until tender and begins to brown just a bit. About 35 minutes.
- Remove squash mixture from the oven and cool slightly before adding to a large pot. Add chicken stock and warm over medium heat until the mixture begins to bubble. Simmer for 5 minutes. Depending on the size of your squash you may need more stock.
- Remove from heat and blend the mixture using an immersion blender until smooth.
- Add curry powder and half & half. Blend well, taste and adjust seasonings as needed. Add more stock or half & half as necessary to adjust thickness of the soup.
- Warm for a few minutes before serving. Don’t forget to garnish with bacon and a drizzle of olive oil.
That’s it. This is an easy soup recipe that we found very filling and satisfying. As an added bonus it made a delicious warm lunch the next day. And I must remark that this was the darkest orange butternut squash I’ve ever seen and it had so much flavor. Maybe that’s because the estate gardener, Brad Agerter, farms the culinary garden organically.
Under non-COVID conditions, Chalk Hill offers a number of wine tasting and food options for visitors and club members. Check the website for availability.
Thanks to Chalk Hill winery for this care package and to Calhoun & Company Communications for organizing its delivery.
Cheers!
