Delicata Squash Soup with Seared Brats

• 1 skillet

• 1 pressure cooker

• 1 knife & cutting board

• 1 spoon

• 1 ladle

2. Add the onion: Add 1 large diced yellow onion and with a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is translucent and both vegetables are deeply golden. Scrape up any browned film on the bottom of the pot as it forms.

3. Toast garlic, celery, and rice: Stir in 4 minced garlic cloves and 3 diced celery stalks and cook about 3 minutes until the garlic smells sweet. Add 1.5 cups rinsed long-grain brown rice and stir constantly so each grain gets coated in the butter and toasts lightly. Don't let the garlic scorch.

4. Simmer the soup: Pour in 8 cups chicken stock and add 1.5 tsp fine sea salt, plus more to taste and 0.5 tsp freshly ground black pepper. Bring to a boil, then drop the heat so the surface barely trembles, cover, and simmer until the rice is tender with a slight chew. Stir once or twice along the way to keep the rice from sticking. Brown rice drinks up a lot of liquid, so if it gets thicker than you like, splash in more stock or water near the end.

5. Cook the squash: While the soup simmers, halve 1 delicata squash (about 1 1/4 lb) lengthwise and scoop out the seeds. Set it on a trivet above 1 cups water, for the pressure cooker in the pressure cooker and cook at high pressure for 4 minutes then quick-release. Let it cool enough to handle and cut into 1/2-inch half-moons — the skin is thin enough to eat. No pressure cooker? Toss the half-moons with a little oil and roast at 425°F for 20–25 minutes, flipping once.

6. Sear the brats: Heat 1 Tbsp neutral oil, for searing in a skillet over medium-high. Sear 4 bratwurst links (about 1 lb) undisturbed until deeply browned on one side, then turn and repeat until they're firm and cooked through (160°F at the center). Move them to a cutting board, rest 10 minutes then cut into 1/2-inch coins.

7. Fry the bread: Wipe the skillet, melt 2 Tbsp butter, for frying the bread over medium heat, and add 2 cups crusty bread, torn into 1/2-inch pieces. Toss every 5 minutes or so until the pieces are golden and crisp all over. Drain on a paper towel and salt them right away while the butter is still wet.

8. Finish and serve: Stir the brat coins into the pot and let them warm through for 2 minutes. Salt to taste, then ladle into bowls and top each with squash, croutons, and 1 Tbsp fresh thyme leaves.

Make-ahead: the rice keeps swelling in the fridge, so leftovers turn into more of a thick porridge. Thin with stock when reheating. Keep the croutons and squash separate so they don't go soft. Swap in butternut or acorn squash if delicata isn't around — both need roughly twice the pressure-cooker time (7–8 minutes) and should be peeled.