Squash soup
Tonight I made the most wonderful soup I’ve ever had. It’s healthy, too; it’s low fat and packed with vitamins and beta carotene.
Here is how you make it:
Ingredients:
2 acorn squash, about 1 pound each (halved and seeded)
a handful of peeled carrots (I used the baby carrots all washed and ready-to-use)
1 large yellow onion, peeled and cut into large chunks
1 bunch leeks (well washed, white and light green parts only)
24 oz chicken or vegetable broth
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg (fresh would have been great, I bet)
1 tsp curry powder
cayenne pepper
salt
1/2 cup sour cream (I used fat free with great success)
a generous splash of real maple syrup (please, no fakey stuff. Hy-Vee Grands brand is good)
parsley oil (optional; see procedure below)
Procedure:
1. Heat oven to 450 F. Spray a glass baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. Arrange squash, cut side down, in the dish. Pour in 1 cup of water. Cover with foil and bake for 15 minutes. Add onion, leeks, and carrots. Cook for another 30 minutes or until squash and carrots are soft.
2. Let the squash cool a few minutes, then scrape the flesh away from the skin with a spoon. Discard the skin. Put squash flesh and other vegetables into a blender. Add broth, about a cup at a time, until it all blends together smoothly and all the broth is added. Pour through a strainer to filter out stringy or fibrous bits. You may need to press it through a bit; some fiber in the soup is fine.
*at this point, you can put the blender pitcher in the fridge and not worry about it for a couple of days*
3. Put strained mixture in a large saucepan. If it has been refrigerated, heat it up, whisking frequently. Once warm, whisk in spices and sour cream until it is well blended. Taste it; add as much salt as you desire. Taste it again and decide if you want it to be spicier (FYI, the answer is “yes”). Add cayenne, a sprinkle at a time, until it’s the right amount of hot for you.
4. Whisk in the maple syrup. Serve with a drizzle of parsley oil.
Parsley oil procedure:
Very finely mince a teaspoon or so of fresh parsley. In a small bowl, mix in a couple of teaspoons of olive oil. Mix thoroughly and let sit for at least 30 minutes before adding to the soup. Chili oil or the oil from a jar of sun-dried tomatoes would also be good.
We roasted weenies on the outdoor fireplace in the 64 degree weather.
So, I read the title wrong. I thought it said SOAP and as I started reading the ingredients I was a little worried that you were cleaning yourself with food! 😮
If you liked that, you may like this vegetarian chili recipe I made recently. From Cooking Light:
Pinto Bean Chili and Winter Squash
The spiciness of this light yet satisfying chili is complemented by the subtle sweetness of corn and winter squash. Queso fresco is a crumbly, slightly salty Mexican cheese that’s available in many large supermarkets. If you can’t find it, substitute crumbled feta or farmer cheese. For a heartier chili, add one cup thawed frozen meatless crumbles. For a vegan version, use shredded soy cheddar or mozzarella cheese.
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 1/2 CuPS chopped onion
1 1.2 cups chopped red bell pepper
I garlic clove, minced
2 tablespoons chili powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
4 cups (1.2-inch) cubed peeled butternut squash (about 1 pound)
3 cups cooked pinto beans
1/2 cups water
1 teaspoon salt
1 (14.5-ounce) can crushed tomatoes, undrained
I (4.5-ounce) can chopped green chiles, undrained
3/4 cup (3 ounces) crumbled queso fresco
6 lime wedges
i. Heat olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add onion, bell pepper, and garlic; cover and cook 5 minutes or until tender. Add chili powder and cumin; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly.
2. Place onion mixture in a 5-quart electric slow cooker. Add butternut squash and next 6 ingredients (through chiles). Cover and cook on LOW 8 hours or until vegetables are tender and chili is thick. Sprinkle with cheese, serve with lime wedges. Yield: 6 servings (serving Size: 1 1/2 cups chili, 2 tablespoons cheese, and 1 lime wedge).
CALORIES 296(20% from fat); FAT 6.5g (sat 2.2g, mono 2.7g. poly 1g): PROTEIN 15.1g; CARS 49.6g; FIBER 13.3g; CHOL 10mg; IRON 4.8mg; SODIUM 640mg; CALC 206mg
Oops.. the recipe also calls for a cup of frozen whole-kernal corn, but my scanner didn’t pick it up because my wife crossed it out (South Beach). Just place it in the slow cooker with all the other ingrediants.
That looks great! Thanks. I’m always up for slow-cooker recipes; they’re so great in the winter.
[…] Squash soup. This was the more complicated one. I basically followed this recipe, except I used frozen organic squash and garnished it with crumbled maple bacon. I also made a […]