Southwestern Butternut Squash Soup!

 

It was a cold damp day, like today, and soup was on my mind.

            I’d had several recipes I had wanted to try, and invited a few friends to come sample and critique.  One new-comer to the group hinted that he really would like to be able to cook along with me.

            So rather than getting everything mostly done ahead, I waited until everyone was there and we all pitched in to make several new dishes.  Some you will see later.  A couple you will never see.  That’s just the way it goes.

            What an interesting experiment.  By the time we’d finished, I do believe that every pot, pan, wooden spoon, spatula, whisk, prep bowl and potholder in the kitchen had been used and was piled on my kitchen cabinets.  We may have to rethink this “let me help” idea.

            But this soup is the dish that one guest pronounced “best of show.”

            It was wonderful done with butternut squash, but it does take some time to peel; using a vegetable peeler is the best way to go.  It’s an awkward shape to deal with as well.  You could also use another winter squash, such as acorn or pumpkin.  Or even, I think, canned pumpkin; two 16-ounce cans of pure pumpkin (NOT pumpkin pie filling, which is pre-spiced) should do the trick.

            I’ve used the chipotle Tabasco sauce often.  It’s not as hot as the original red variety, and gives a great smoky flavor to this soup.

            We had it as a first course, but it would make a great winter supper, either as is, or with leftover shredded chicken added.  Some sort of nice green or vegetable salad and some crusty bread and you’ve got dinner!

SOUTHWESTERN BUTTERNUT SQUASH BISQUE

1 medium butternut squash, about 4 pounds

4 cups chicken or vegetable stock

1 medium onion, peeled and chopped

1 teaspoon ground cardamom

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg (or 1/2 teaspoon pre-ground nutmeg)

1 cup heavy cream

3 tablespoons chipotle Tabasco sauce, or to taste

2 ripe plum tomatoes, seeded and diced

1 ripe but firm avocado, diced

3 green onions, thinly sliced, including some of the green part

The juice and zest of one lime

Cilantro, for garnish

            Peel the squash with a vegetable peeler.  Cut in half lengthwise.  Scoop out and discard the seeds.  Cut the squash into 1” cubes.  In a large saucepan or Dutch oven, bring the stock to a simmer.  Add the squash, cover and simmer until the squash is tender, about 15 minutes.

            Meanwhile, in a heavy skillet over medium heat, melt the butter,  Add the onion and cook until soft and translucent. Add the spices and continue to cook, stirring frequently, another couple of minutes.  Scrape this mixture into the pot with the squash.

            Simmer to soup for another 10 minutes or so.  With a hand blender or in a blender or food processor, pulse several times to just barely puree the squash.  A few small chunks left in will give a pleasant texture to the soup.  Add the cream and Tabasco sauce.  Taste and add salt if desired.

            In a small bowl. combine the tomato, avocado, green onions and lime juice and zest.

            When ready to serve, bring the soup to a simmer.  If necessary, add stock to thin to desired thickness (this should be a thick soup).  Ladle into soup bowls.  Garnish with the tomato mixture and a few leaves of cilantro.  Serves 6-8 as a first course, or 4 as a main course.

 

A perfect soup for the season!

                The holidays are upon us and we’re looking forward to a couple of weeks of festivities and feasting.  I don’t know about you but I know that in between all the big parties and dinners, I need to try to watch my diet and eat tasty but healthy food.  And with cool weather coming we want a supper to ward off the chill.

               This soup goes a long way toward those goals.  It is very low in fat per serving. Nutrient-rich butternut squash has lots of vitamin A and C, and a little calcium and iron. Lentils are good for fiber and protein. And the warm spices of ginger, cumin and curry powder makes this soup perfect for a cold winter day.

               Although it is meatless, my very carnivorous husband loved it. I served it with corn sticks.  Beans and grains (lentils and corn) together make a complete protein, so—delicious, healthy—a great way to fill in between party fare.

               Once again I used the ginger paste available in supermarket produce sections that we’ve talked about before.  After years of throwing away shriveled and moldy leftover pieces of fresh ginger, this was a great discovery. 

               The recipe makes a pretty big batch but it reheats beautifully. It would also freeze well, so you could have tasty hot soup on any of the cold days we know are ahead of us in the next couple of months.           

Curried Butternut-Lentil Soup

1 medium butternut squash

2 tbsp. olive oil

1 cup onion, coarsely chopped

1 cup celery, thinly sliced

1 red bell pepper, diced

2 cloves garlic, very thinly sliced

1 tbsp. ginger paste (or 1 ½ tbsp. fresh grated)

1 tbsp. curry powder

1 tsp. ground cumin

1 cup lentils

6 cups chicken stock

Salt and pepper

Plain yogurt (or sour cream) for garnish

               Preheat the oven to 375^o.  Cut the squash in half lengthwise and scoop out the pith and seeds.  Place cut side down on a well-oiled foil-lined baking sheet.  Roast for an hour or a little more until just tender. Let cool.  Scoop the flesh into a large bowl and mash a few times with a potato masher. Leave some good-sized chunks.

               In a large soup pot, warm the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion, celery, bell pepper and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are starting to soften.  Add the ginger, curry powder and cumin and continue to cook, stirring, for a couple of minutes.  Add the lentils and stir to coat with seasonings.  Add the chicken stock and squash. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 25-30 minutes, or until the lentils are done. Taste and add salt and pepper as desired.  

 

               Top each serving with a spoonful of yogurt or sour cream. Makes eight or more meal-sized servings.

 

Italian butternut stuffed onions, oh, YUM!

      Our church has small groups to encourage folks to connect with others with similar interests. All sorts of topics are included and I lead a culinary group.  Each month I try to demonstrate dishes that are interesting sounding, but easy enough to do for those who may not be inclined to spend a lot of time in the kitchen.

                This past week, we featured a great fall vegetable, butternut squash. One of the dishes was an Italian first course. It would make a perfect side dish for your holiday dinners. But larger onions would make a lovely main dish for a brunch or luncheon with just a salad on the side.

                The original Italian version would include mostarda, an Italian concoction of fruit preserved in mustard oil syrup.  It is very difficult to find in the US.  Italian cookbook author Marcella Hazan recommends a combination of quince preserves and mustard to replace it. That’s what I do. If you have a tough time finding quince jam or preserves, I'm pretty sure orange marmalade would be equally delicious.

                The Italian versions don’t normally use a sauce, but a couple of weeks before at our monthly wine dinner group, Joel and Mary Smith served a sausage stuffed onion. They made a lemon sauce that I knew would be perfect with this. And it was.  With the cream and butter it’s a bit of an indulgence but it only takes a couple of spoonfuls to complement the onion. You won’t be sorry!

Butternut Squash Stuffed Onions

1 small butternut squash 
¼ cup quince jam 
1 tbsp. Dijon mustard 
10 amaretti cookies, finely crushed 
½ cup freshly grated pecorino romano, plus more for garnish 
small onions, trimmed and peeled

                Preheat the oven to 375^o.  Cut the squash in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds and pith.  Place cut-side down on an oiled baking sheet and bake until tender, 1 to 1 ½ hours.  Cool.

Cut off about 1/2” from top and bottom of onions.  With a melon baller or sharp knife, scoop out the centers, being careful not to cut through the bottom.  Discard the centers or reserve for another use. Place the onions in an oiled baking dish, brush with olive oil, cover and bake for about 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, scoop out the pulp of the squash and place in a mixing bowl. Mash with the back of a spoon.  Add the quince jam, Dijon mustard, amaretti crumbs and pecorino romano.  Mix well. 

Fill the onions with the squash mixture.  Butter a baking dish just large enough to hold the onions in one layer.  Bake until the onions are tender and golden, 20-30 minutes.  Ladle a couple of spoonfuls of lemon sauce on each serving plate and top with an onion. Grate a bit more pecorino on top and serve immediately.

Lemon Butter Sauce

 1 tbsp. olive oil
1 tbsp. chopped shallot 
½ cup dry vermouth or dry white wine 
Juice and finely grated zest of one lemon 
1 cup heavy cream 
4 oz. butter, at room temperature

                In a saucepan, simmer the oil, shallot, vermouth and lemon zest and juice until reduced by about half.  Add the cream and bring back to a simmer.  Simmer, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Reduce to heat to as low as it will go and whisk in the butter a little at a time.  Spoon a couple of tablespoons onto a serving plate, then set the hot stuffed onions on top.

NOTE: Amaretti are small crisp cookies, available at Fresh Market and some supermarkets.