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Cream of Butternut Squash Soup
This is one of my favorite fall standards. The primary recipe is for an herby, European-style squash soup. Then I offer an Asian-style variation.
Ingredients:
- 2 tblspns butter or olive oil
- 2-3 leeks, sliced into rounds
- 1 butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into chunks
- 1 bouquet garni (an herb bundle tied with string) including any or all of the following:
- a bay leaf, a sprig of thyme, a sprig of sage, a sprig of parsley, a rosemary stem
- Filtered water (or chicken stock)
- 1 cup yogurt, buttermilk, half-and-half, or whole milk (or 3/4 cup cream or crème fraiche)
- Salt and pepper to taste
Garnish:
- Crème fraiche or yogurt
- Finely minced rosemary, thyme, sage, or parsley leaves (or a combination of these herbs); or a grating of nutmeg, or a grind of black pepper
Procedure:
- Heat the butter or oil in a medium-sized soup pot. Add the leeks and sauté until soft.
- Add the butternut squash and add filtered water (or stock) to cover the vegetables by about 3/4 of an inch. Add the bouquet garni and bring the pot to a boil.
- Reduce heat and simmer until the squash is soft.
- Turn off the heat, remove the bouquet garni.
- Puree the soup with an immersion blender (or in a blender), adding the yogurt or other dairy, and a big pinch of salt and pepper as you blend. Taste the soup and adjust the seasonings.
- Serve in a shallow bowl with a dollop of crème fraiche (or yogurt) and a sprinkling of herbs, nutmeg, or pepper.
Variation: Butternut Soup with Coconut Milk and Ginger
- Replace butter or olive oil with ghee, if you have it
- Replace bouquet garni with 3-4 slices fresh gingerroot
- Add a tblspn or so fish sauce to the soup while it's cooking (reduce the salt)
- Replace the yogurt (or other dairy) in the puree with coconut milk (you can use the whole can)
- Garnish with a dollop of yogurt and a sprinkling of minced scallions
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