Squash Soup: Comfort Food in Its Simplest Form

A soup created 26 years ago, a handful of ingredients, and the kind of comfort you always want to come back to

Our squash soup was one of the very first recipes we created at Karine & Jeff.

Twenty-six years ago, it appeared alongside our Vegetable Soup and Split Pea Soup, three of the oldest recipes in our kitchen, and three that are still with us today.

Back then, I had something very specific in mind for what we called our Velouté de potimarron, now known in the UK as Red Kuri Squash Velouté: I wanted a soup that felt soft, generous, silky, and deeply comforting.

The red kuri squash was at the centre. Carrot came in to bring everything together, reinforcing its natural sweetness and giving the soup the gentle, mellow quality I was looking for.

And we deliberately kept the ingredient list short.

Because sometimes, comfort comes from exactly that.

The Soup I Made Again and Again for the Children

When the children were young, I made this soup often.

With seven children, you quickly learn that some dishes require a certain amount of negotiation at the table, and others let you arrive at dinner feeling much more confident.

This squash soup belonged to the second group.

With them, its warm colour, gentle flavour, and especially its smooth texture worked almost every time.

There was nothing to explain. A warm bowl, a spoon, sometimes a piece of bread alongside it, and dinner could begin.

This recipe never needed to become more complicated to keep bringing pleasure to the table.

Comfort Food Does Not Have to Be Heavy

We often associate comfort food with something very rich: lots of cream, melted cheese, generous toppings.

But comfort can come from somewhere else.

It can come from the natural sweetness of squash, from holding a steaming bowl between your hands, and from a silky texture whose flavours are immediately familiar.

That is one of the things I especially love about cooking with vegetables.

A recipe does not need to imitate something else in order to feel indulgent or satisfying.

It can simply be exactly what it is.

Red kuri squash. Carrot. A few aromatics. And a texture that wraps everything together.

And When You Want to Dress Up the Bowl

Most of the time, I would still serve this soup almost exactly as it is.

But some evenings, a few finishing touches give the same bowl a completely different presence at the table, not by hiding its simplicity, but by playing with it.

Squash Soup with Crispy Chickpeas, Parsley & Lemon

Crispy chickpeas bring the contrast that a silky soup naturally does not have. Parsley adds a fresh green note. A little lemon zest lifts the sweetness of the squash without taking it away.

Olive oil ties everything together.

Serves 2

• 1 jar Karine & Jeff Red Kuri Squash Velouté
• 160 g cooked chickpeas, drained and thoroughly dried
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• A small handful of flat-leaf parsley
• Finely grated zest of ½ lemon
• A small handful of pumpkin seeds
• Freshly ground black pepper, if desired

Directions

Preheat the oven to 220°C (200°C fan).

Dry the chickpeas very well, then toss them with about half of the olive oil. Spread them on a baking tray and roast for 20 to 25 minutes, stirring once, until golden and crisp.

Meanwhile, toast the pumpkin seeds for a few minutes in a dry frying pan, just until fragrant.

Gently warm the soup.

Pour it into two deep bowls. Top with the crispy chickpeas, toasted pumpkin seeds, roughly chopped parsley, and a little lemon zest.

Finish with the remaining olive oil and, if you like, a few turns of black pepper.

Serve immediately, while the soup is piping hot and the chickpeas are still crisp.

Keeping What Made the Recipe Work from the Beginning

What I love about serving the soup this way is that the bowl becomes more composed without losing its identity.

The chickpeas and pumpkin seeds bring bite and crunch. The lemon and parsley add just enough brightness.

But underneath, everything that mattered in the original recipe is still there: the softness of the squash, the carrot bringing the flavours together, and the smooth texture that defined the soup from the very beginning.

You could add many more things.

I do not think you need to.

Twenty-Six Years Later

The way we talk about food changes.

Today we talk about comfort food.

Twenty-six years ago, when we created this soup, we were not really thinking in those terms.

I simply wanted a vegetable soup that was soft and generous, made with very few ingredients, and one I would be happy to serve again and again at home.

Perhaps that is what I love most about recipes that last.

The words around them may change. The reason we cook them does not.

A warm bowl. Something delicious. And the desire to come back to it.

Or grab it ready in a jar: Karine & Jeff Red Kuri Squash Velouté

Prep time: 10 minutes
Topping cook time: 20 to 25 minutes
Serves: 2
Dietary notes: with no meat or fish