Squash is a must in the fall. So is soup….so why not enjoy them at the same time?  That at least has been my philosophy lately!  Here’s what I do:

  • 2 buttercup, butternut, or large acorn squashes
  • 1/3 cup water
  • olive oil
  • 6-8 small garlic cloves
  • 1 medium onion
  • 1-2 carrots, thinly sliced or grated
  • 4-5 cups chicken stock
  • salt
  • white pepper
  • nutmeg
  • red pepper flakes
  • cream

Set the oven to 350.  Cut the squash in half length-wise and remove seeds and stringy pulp.  Place face-down in a glass baking pan and pour in a little water.  If using a larger squash, cut into quarters.  Bake for 40 minutes.  If there is any water left in the pan, pour it out and drizzle a little olive oil in each half.  Place the cloves of garlic in the olive oil “puddles.”  Bake for 20 more minutes and then remove from the oven to let it cool off a bit.

In the meantime, sauté the onion in some olive oil on a low heat.  Grate the carrot(s) and add to the onion.  When the carrots have cooked through, remove the mixture from heat.

Scoop out the squash pulp and garlic.  In a food processor or blender, blend the squash and carrot and onion mixture until very smooth (add some chicken stock while blending).  Once that is pureed, dump that into a large pot on the stove.  Add more chicken stock until it reaches a good consistency (err on the runny side because it will thicken as you let it simmer).  Season with enough salt to bring out the robust squashy flavor, enough nutmeg to add a hint of sweetness, and enough red pepper flakes and white pepper to give it some oomph.  Let it simmer a bit (at least 10 minutes). If it tastes lifeless, add a bit of chicken base/bouillon along with more spices.

To serve, pour a splash of cream on top.  You can garnish with carrot curls, nutmeg, or red pepper flakes.

With a bit of kick from the garlic and red pepper flakes, this will keep you warm on a fall day!

 

 

dairy free, fall, soup, vegetables

November 3, 2010

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