Another good squash soup

-
Winter Squash and Carrot Soup
This is an enjoyable soup with a pleasant kick to it from the jalapeno and other spices. Arthur said it was a definite keeper.

The original recipe which appeared in the Chicago Tribune called for a butternut squash. I just so happened to have festival squash from our CSA. According to the winter squash glossary: "most winter squash have soft flesh that can be used interchangeably in recipes."
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, roughly chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped (if you want a bit of heat, leave in some of the seeds)
2 festival squash (picture on the right) about 1-1/2-2 pounds
3 large carrots (about 12 oz.) peeled and coarsely chopped
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon paprika
1 1/4 teaspoons ground cumin
3/4 teaspoon each of turmeric and ground coriander
4 cups of chicken or vegetable broth
1-2 fully cooked chicken sausage, sliced (I used 1 from Trader Joe's)
yogurt or sour cream for topping
1/3 or more chopped cilantro
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
Prepare the squash by either cooking in the microwave or oven. Use previously given directions on cooking winter squash. When tender and cool enough to work with, scoop the squash flesh out of the shell and set aside.
Heat olive oil in a soup pot. Add the onion and jalapeno. Cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the carrots and sugar; cook stirring occasionally for about 10 minutes. Add paprika, cumin, turmeric and coriander; continue cooking and stirring for another couple of minutes. Add the broth and heat to boiling. Reduce heat and simmer covered until carrots are soft. Check after 20 minutes; continue cooking if not tender. Add the previously cooked squash. Using an immersion blender, puree the soup to desired consistency. If it is too thick add additional broth.
Stir in cilantro, lime juice and sliced sausage if using. The original recipe did not call for the sausage, but it made a good addition. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve soup topped with sour cream or yogurt.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Fresh Amaranth (Red Spinach)

-
Image
Amaranth Leaves are very similar to spinach in flavor and use. They're beautiful to look at. Its tempting to just keep the bunch as a decorative bouquet. This time I decided to use mine in Chinese Spinach Curry. This is not a perfected recipe, but I would make it again so I thought it was worth posting. Thotakura Palakura Tomato Kura 1 tablespoon peanut oil or other mild oil ¼ teaspoon each--cumin, mustard seeds and curry leaves (I think the quantity of these spices should be doubled) 1 big onion - finely sliced, about one cup 2 tomatoes - finely chopped, about one cup 5 green chillies--finely chopped (I used 1 Serrano, which I seeded--5 seemed excessive for our tastes but it needed either more than 1 pepper or to leave in some of the seeds. In other words it lacked heat) 1 teaspoon - ginger garlic paste ½ tsp each- turmeric and salt 1 bunch fresh amaranth (leaves and tender stems) - finely chopped, about 5 cups 1 bunch fresh spinach - finely chopped, about 5 cups 1 can of chick...
Read more

Roasted Beets & Carrots with Couscous and Citrus Dressing

-
This dish can be served warm or cold, leftover the next day.  Delicious both ways.  It is a bit labor-intensive but very tasty and a good way to use some of those winter vegetables. 1# beets, peeled and cut into bite-sized chunks 1/2# carrots, cut into thick coins 1/2# onions red or yellow onions or shallot, cut into chunks (a little less is fine) 1/2 cup Citrus Vinaigrette 1 cup Israeli couscous 1 garlic clove, peeled and chopped 1 large sprig of thyme, if fresh is not available sprinkle in some dry 1/4-1/2 tsp. dried chile flakes 1/2 cup salted roasted sunflower seeds (raw seeds are also OK) 1 cup lightly packed cilantro leaves 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese Heat oven to 450℉. Toss the beets with a small amount of olive or sunflower oil, season with salt and pepper and spread on a rimmed baking sheet.  Roast for 10 minutes.  Toss the carrots and onions with oil and season with salt and pepper.  Add to the baking sheet.  Roast all the vegetable...
Read more

Celery Root, Cracked Wheat, and Every-Fall-Vegetable-You-Can-Find-Chowder

-
This soup turned out to be tastier than I expected which is why I'm including it in my blog so that I don't forget about making it again. I think it is due to the celery root puree. This makes it necessary to add another step to preparing the soup but it is definitely worthwhile.  You could substitute another grain for the cracked wheat, such as farro.  However, I happened to have cracked wheat available and it cooks quickly. 1 celeriac (celery root 3/4 - 1#) 1/2# onions, sliced (yellow or red) 3 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced or chopped 3 tablespoons unsalted butter Kosher (or sea salt) and cracked black pepper 2 tablespoons olive or sunflower oil 1 cup cracked wheat Several sprigs fresh thyme if available, otherwise use dried thyme 1 stalk celery, diced -- note, I used my vegetable chopper to chop all the root vegetables so they were about a 1/2 inch dice 1 carrot, diced 1 turnip, diced (I didn't have a turnip so I used a daikon radish) 1 medium potato, unp...
Read more