WHITE BEAN AND BUTTERNUT SQUASH SOUP

White Bean and Butternut Squash Soup image

Yield makes 2 quarts; 4 to 6 servings

Number Of Ingredients 9

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1 cup dried white beans (such as cannellini, haricot blanc, or navy beans)
3 cups chicken broth
4 cups water
2 tablespoons olive oil or duck fat
2 onions, sliced thin
3 or 4 sage leaves
1 bay leaf
1 medium butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
Salt

Steps:

Soak in 4 cups water overnight: 1 cup dried white beans (such as cannellini, haricot blanc, or navy beans).
Drain and put in a large pot with: 3 cups chicken broth, 4 cups water.
Bring to a boil, then lower the heat, and simmer until the beans are tender. Start checking after 45 minutes. Season to taste when cooked.
Heat in a heavy-bottomed pot: 2 tablespoons olive oil or duck fat.
Add: 2 onions, sliced thin, 3 or 4 sage leaves, 1 bay leaf.
Cook over medium heat until tender, about 15 minutes. Stir in: 1 medium butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes, Salt.
Cook for 5 minutes. Drain the beans and add 6 cups of their cooking liquid to the squash and onions. Cook at a simmer until the squash starts to become tender. Add the beans and keep cooking until the squash is very soft. Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary.
Serve hot soup over thickly sliced country-style or levain bread that has been brushed with duck fat or olive oil and toasted until crisp and golden brown.
Use other varieties of winter squash: Delicata, acorn, kabocha, French pumpkin.