Butternut Squash Soup with Parmesan and Fried Sage Leaves

To continue with the soup theme, from Epicurious.com:

Fried sage leaves make a crispy garnish. Try them also crumbled on mashed potatoes and sautéed vegetables.

Servings: Makes 8 servings.

Ingredients:
3 tablespoons butter
1 onion, coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage
1 2 3/4-pound butternut squash, halved, peeled, seeded, chopped (about 5 cups)
5 cups canned low-salt chicken broth
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
24 fresh sage leaves

Directions:
Melt 1 tablespoon butter in heavy large pot over medium heat. Add onion; cover and cook until soft, stirring occasionally, about 7 minutes. Add chopped sage; stir 1 minute. Add squash and broth. Increase heat to high and bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer until squash is tender, about 25 minutes. Cool slightly. Puree soup in batches in blender until smooth (or use immersion blender). Return soup to pot. Mix in cheese. Season to taste with salt and pepper. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cool slightly, then cover and refrigerate.)
Melt remaining 2 tablespoons butter in heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add sage leaves and sauté until brown and toasted, about 2 minutes. Bring soup to simmer. Ladle into bowls. Garnish with fried sage leaves.


RESULTS: Very tasty! You may need less than 5 cups of broth, I would start with 4. Or, you can use all five and then boil some off to thicken. I threw in some toasted almonds that I had leftover from the barley soup with the sage in the frying pan, and I used the parmesan more of a garnish than mixed in. Either way, it's a good soup. Can you make a bad soup with butternut squash? I don't know...