I have a few favorite local lunch spots that my girlfriends and I frequent often when we want to have a ladies lunch, Marin style. Marin style means it’s all about being casual when going to lunch to meet your friends. It’s really about the conversation and food, not the stuffiness of having to get all dressed up or look a certain way, who wants to do that? Marin is a laid-back, easygoing community, and that is why I love it so.
One of our favorite lunchtime spots is Rustic Bakery in Larkspur. This is not just a bakery but also an amazing breakfast and lunch cafe. They have some of the most magnificent salads, sandwiches and baked goods. Everything at the cafe is made with local and organic ingredients.
I was a happy girl when I picked up a copy of Organic Marin from my local library and saw one of my favorite soup recipes from Rustic Bakery inside. I was excited to go home and re-create this soup for my family and I to have for lunch over the weekend. 
Rustic Bakery’s Roasted Butternut Squash Soup:
Recipe from Organic Marin
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 large butternut squash (about 3 pounds), halved and seeded
- 1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more to rub on squash halves
- 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, plus more to rub on squash halves
- 6 garlic cloves, peeled
- 4 thyme sprigs
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 large yellow onion, chopped
- 3 shallots, chopped
- 4 cups chicken or vegetable stock
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
Remove the squash from the oven and let cool.
Reserve the garlic cloves and discard the thyme.
Melt the 3 tablespoons butter in a dutch oven or soup pot over medium-high heat.Add the roasted butternut squash, the reserved garlic cloves, 1/2-teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper (or just add a pinch of salt and a few turns of the pepper grinder, that is what I do) and sauté for 5 to 7 minutes, until the squash begins to caramelize and stick to the bottom of the pan.
Note: Break up the squash with your spoon and stir it frequently so it doesn’t stick to the bottom.
Stir in the 1/4-cup cream.
Taste the soup and adjust the seasoning if needed.
This soup was very flavorful, rich and delicious. It actually tasted better day two, as the flavors had a chance to mesh together.I paired it up with my kale salad and these crispy olive oil and sea salt crackers from Rustic Bakery. You don’t always have to go out to lunch to have a gourmet lunch experience. It’s nice to sometimes treat yourself to a gourmet lunch at home either by yourself or with a few close friends.
i loved the results of this soup. the roasted garlic and cooked down shallots gave it depth. I used two medium butternut squash and it came out to about 6 quarts of soup, most of which is gone now! Thanks, Jacquelyn!
Hi Annie! Awesome! I’m so happy to hear that you loved this soup! You’re reminding me that I need to make up a batch of this soon! Try the carrot ginger one next, that’s another one of my fall faves! xoxo, Jacquelyn
By the way, the amount of soup I made fit perfectly in our Magic Bullet blender and it worked really well in quickly getting the soup silky and smooth.
Yaay Julie ! I’m so happy that the soup turned out so well for you and it’s a keeper recipe! I’m happy to hear that your magic bullet worked so well at pureeing the soup! Win win! 😉 xoxo, Jackie
Thank you so much for this recipe, Jackie! Creamy, smooth, with a lovely butternut squash flavor! And quick and easy to fix once the squash is roasted.
I made approx. a quarter of the recipe—just enough for a generous serving for myself. (I roasted the squash a couple of days ago but much of it was eaten before I had the chance to make the soup.)
Before I added in all the chicken stock, it made a beautiful, tasty puree. Made me think of the many Top Chef episodes where someone pureed something or other and presented a meat protein on top of it. Fancy schmancy. 🙂
Soup or puree—wonderful! I’m printing up the recipe to add to my keeper file!
What a gorgeous soup. It looks like molten gold and your photos of it are wonderful. I hope you have a great weekend. Blessings…Mary.
I’m SO glad someone else just halves and roasts squash and THEN deals with … why people do this whole peel, chop, roast thing is beyond me…..!?
Rustic bakery sounds like somewhere I need to go on return to the Bay Area. My favourite indulgent lunch is baked goats cheese on seasonal greens – alla Chez Pannise, but so easy to recreate at home NEARLY as well..
Happy Weekend!
It looks so creamy and delicious – yum!