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From our Food Goddess, TaMara:
First some housekeeping – there will not be a recipe exchange next Thursday as I will be headed to the beach for some needed R&R.
On to today’s recipes. About this time of year I receive a number of requests for squash and sweet potato soup recipes. I have several: Chipotle Sweet Potato Soup, Sweet Potato Soup, Butternut Squash & Leek Soup and Winter Squash Soup (click on each for the recipes).
That brings us to tonight’s featured recipe. The base recipe came to me via an email. I looked over the recipe and thought it needed some punch. The first thing I did was roast the squash to help bring some depth to the dish. I added a little heat and finished with a splash of lemon juice to brighten everything when it was done. I don’t think of it as a stand-alone soup (like my very favorite Tomato-Spinach soup), but I think it would work well as a first course in any meal. I think it would be especially nice at a Thanksgiving table.
Roasted Butternut Squash and Spiced Apple Soup
4 medium butternut squash, halved and seeded
1/4 cup butter
1/2 yellow onion, chopped
2 large apples – tart works well, but I used my neighbor’s backyard apples which worked great
1 tsp grated nutmeg
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp allspice
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
12 cups (3 quarts) water or vegetable broth
splash of lemon juice
baking dish, dutch oven or large saucepanPut about 1/4 inch of water in the baking dish, put squash face down and roast at 375 degrees until it is easy to put a fork through the skin. Turn over and continue roasting until tender and squash are golden brown. About 30-40 minutes. You can turn the heat up after you flip them to brown them, if desired. Remove to cool.
Meanwhile, core and slice apples into about 1 inch pieces. No need to peel or get fancy with the dicing since this is a puréed soup. Melt butter in the saucepan, add apple, onions and sauté until apples are soft and onions are golden. Add spices and coat the apple mixture. Scrape squash from skins and add to the apples, add water or broth. You can use chicken broth, but to keep it vegetarian I used vegetable broth. Let simmer for 30 minutes, purée until smooth, heat an additional 5-10 minutes, adding water if necessary and add a splash of lemon juice just before serving.
You can use a blender or hand blender to purée the mixture. If you use a blender, add a couple of ladles of soup to the blender, cover and blend slowly to start, to keep the mixture from expanding too much. I’ve seen hot liquid blow the lid off…you don’t want that. Blend in small batches. With a hand blender, keep it immersed and again blend slowly, to avoid splattering the hot liquid.
Who’s got a good soup recipe for the oncoming cooler weather?
Baud
Fuck Conor Friedersdorf…
beltane
I must be getting old. I read the title of the post as “Butthurt Squash Soup” and thought it was yet another FP post about Conor Friedersdorf.
Schlemizel
I’d like to put a plug in for this spiffy web site I just came across
joepastry.com/
Joe does pastry, really really well. He not only gives you the recipes but detailed instructions and background. Joe has an archive that covers so many great foods.
Really. Give the guys a click & see you you are not impressed.
the Conster
This is the distilled essence of Scott Brown’s whole campaign so far. I’m hopeful that he ends up in the dustbin of history with Todd Akin. I’m going to do a war whoop when he does. WTF?
lamh35
So I’ve been at work all day, but I’ve read that Romney camps strategy is to aggressively “call out” POTUS on “his” lies?? Umm, ok, so how exactly are they gonna do that?
Also what exactly is the moderators role in the upcoming debates. Are they just “facillitaters” of conversation, or are they supposed to at least challenge the candidates to answer the question asked?
SiubhanDuinne
Hey what happened to my comment? FYWP
pseudonymous in nc
Celeriac. Combine it with roasted carrots for sweetness, add some cumin and perhaps coriander or caraway or allspice. Garnish with yogurt.
Beetroot. The NYT just had a set of beetroot recipes, but a beetroot soup that isn’t borscht? I’ll take that.
Yutsano
@pseudonymous in nc: What’s wrong with borscht? Is good Russian soup! Next you’ll tell me you don’t like cabbage. Then it’s on.
raven
Navy beans in a pressure cooker with some smoked turkey necks, celery, onion bay leaves. Cast iron cornbread to soak it up.
debit
Mmmmm. I’m going to have to give that a try. This time of year I make pumpkin soup. No actual, precise recipe sorry; it’s just something I made trying to recreate the soup a local coffee shop sometimes serves.
I use:
a couple of carrots either shredded or cut into fine matchsticks
one finely chopped onion
a tablespoon or so of butter
a can of pumpkin (not the ginormous one)
Chicken broth
a couple chopped green jalapeno peppers
a cup or so of frozen corn
cumin to taste
salt and white pepper to taste
Saute the onions and carrots in the butter until tender. Add the pumpkin, broth, peppers and corn. Go easy on the broth until you get the consistency you want. Add cumin, salt and pepper, adjust until you are happy with the result. Cook at a low simmer until the corn is done. I serve with warm corn bread, possibly with the corn bread dripping with butter.
Sparrowgal
@Schlemizel: Very cool site! Thanks for the link…I like that he provides historical context, as well as a wide variety of international pastries, and beautifully-photographed instructions with recipes. Wish I weren’t gluten-free, but there’s plenty here that could potentially be converted.
Schlemizel
@raven:
Since I was forced to get rid of meat I have been making a lot of different kinds of beans, peas and lentils. I love navy beans done just like that.
I love a good boiled dinner too. A couple of smoked hocks (necks would be a nice kosher substitute) in the cooker with turnips, onions, carrots, parsnips and potatoes. You can add cabbage too, thats some good eating in a down home simplicity.
raven
@Schlemizel: I like Kale in the navy beans.
Litlebritdifrnt
@Yutsano: I read an article somewhere (and yes I am too lazy to find it) that says that borscht is a soup made from all of the left over bits and pieces of the root veggies that were used during the winter and then thrown into a cast iron pot kept on the front porch which of course was always freezing so it preserved them. Come the spring, the pot was brought inside and a soup was made of the stuff in the pot.
Schlemizel
@Sparrowgal:
As much as I whine about my current restrictions I am grateful that gluten free is not one of them. That would be more than I want to deal with.
Schlemizel
@raven:
I made black beans and chard but thought the chard was a bit too weak. I’ll bet kale is a little tougher & holds up better.
Litlebritdifrnt
Oh btw I am ashamed to say that I had a complete and utter melt down tantrum this evening on my Mother when she was making my absolute favorite veggie stew she decided to put last night’s left over chinese take out veggie lo mein noodles in the stew. I said “what the hell are you doing, you have RUINED it!” She looked at me and said “well take them out then” and let me know she was NOT pleased with me. I tried to tell her that her stew was the manna of the gods and didn’t need left over damn chinese take away noodles in it.
Sparrowgal
@Litlebritdifrnt: Yeah, it’s medically ‘suggested’ in my case, and the restriction is two and a half years old at this point. It does get easier with time (especially when you feel better as a result), but DAMN I miss crusty bread and chewy bagels! Chewy pizza crust is a loss, too.
Sparrowgal
@Schlemizel: Yeah, it’s medically ‘suggested’ in my case, and the restriction is two and a half years old at this point. It does get easier with time (especially when you feel better as a result), but DAMN I miss crusty bread and chewy bagels! Chewy pizza crust is a loss, too.
Yutsano
@Litlebritdifrnt: That totally makes sense as a relatively poor country like Russia wouldn’t waste a molecule of precious food sources. Is it any wonder they enjoy sour cream so much?
Comrade Mary
OT: The Innocence of Muslims film maker has been arrested for parole violations. Cue wingnut freakout …
(Yes, the news report is from the future, because Greenwich, that’s why …)
Yutsano
@Comrade Mary: Damn. I thought you had a TARDIS!!
? Martin
@Comrade Mary: The brownshirts found him! Conservatives, hide your children in the attic! Kristallnacht has arrived!
Comrade Mary
@Yutsano: If I had a TARDIS, I’d be opening it to find a new, pretty package every 3-4 years. I quite like the current one …
NonyNony
@Comrade Mary:
Look at that. A stalwart paragon of conservative virtues, Mr. Nakoula is.
Satchel
Do the cooked apple skins really puree that smoothly? I had no idea.
Love anything with butternut squash. Thanks for the recipe.
? Martin
@NonyNony: You mock, but first they came for our softcore porn producers, and I didn’t speak out because I wasn’t a softcore porn producer…
You would have this job creator crushed under the dictatorial boot of black Jimmy Carter, but someday you might create a job, and then that boot will surely come for you!
danah gaz
Meh. Not enough fat or charred animal carcass.
Thanks for the red beans and rice recipe the other day. I confess that I didn’t use the one you gave, but it served as inspiration just the same. I now have a gigantic batch of yummy in my fridge. I used a ham hock, bacon (in lieu of andouelle sausage which I don’t care for), and actual red beans – which some commenter mentioned I could acquire at my local Mexican market (thanks!)
I spent 3 full hours in the kitchen yesterday making (once again) fried chicken, red beans & rice, buttermilk cornbread and collard greens.
I won’t rest until I learn to cook like a black southern grandma. hehehehe.
TaMara (BHF)
@danah gaz: I am impressed!
@Satchel: Yes, because they are so soft. I also don’t peel when I make applesauce for the same reason.
hamletta
The best soup in the world is Michael Symon’s Spicy Tomato Soup With Blue Cheese.
Or, as my friend calls it, The Soup.
Violet
TaMara, thanks for the recipes! I love this time of year, with all the yummy, hearty squash and sweet potato soups. Can’t wait to try the Chipotle Sweet Potato Soup–sounds delicious.
justawriter
I grew up in a home where most soup recipes started with “take two smoked pork hocks” but I know a store locally that has its own smokehouse and does killer smoked chicken. (please notice there are a lot of choices in this recipe depending on what is the cupboard) put four smoked chicken thighs (or two hocks) into two quarts of water or stock with two bay leaves and pepper until the meat starts to come off the bone. Remove meat, add veg of your choice (usually carrots, celery, onion, garlic, and sometimes bell pepper, potatoes and mushrooms) and two cups of lentils. Continue to cook until the bits are the way you like it – my preference is to wait until the lentils start break down and thicken the soup. Add one 14.5 ounce can of tomatoes (I prefer diced), thyme and sometimes marjoram maybe a bit of cayenne, some dark mushroom soy sauce, the chopped chicken thighs, maybe a half cup of good white wine. Give it another 10-15 minutes, adjust seasoning to taste, and serve with good bread.
Since our winter goes from October to May, we take our soups seriously.
Jeff Overley
Nice pic, but is that soup or custard? Looks like it needs a knife and fork, not a spoon.
different-church-lady
F**k… it’s autumn already, isn’t it?
Original Lee
This is a soup we started making a couple of weeks ago:
Spicy Sweet Potato Soup. The lime-sour cream garnish is nice, but the soup really doesn’t need it.
Kristin
Tuscan Potato Soup (quick, easy and warming!):
In your soup pot, sautee in
* 2TBS EVOO
*1/2 cup finely chopped celery (Include leaves if stalks have them)
*1/2 cup finely chopped yellow onion
When onions start becoming translucent add
*4 pints chicken stock
*4 pints water
While stock mixture comes to a boil, in a separate skillet brown:
*8 links sausage – skin removed or an equivalent amount of loose (I use hot sausage but you can use mild or whatever to taste)
When sausage is browned at it and all dripping to stock mixture.
Simmer for approximately 20-30 minutes then add:
*1 bag small red-skinned potatoes, quartered.
Cook until soft then add, to taste:
*Salt
*White Pepper
*Bay Leaves
*Crushed Red Pepper
*Oregano
*Paprika (I use both sweet and hot paprika but again, this is to taste)
Simmer another 10 minutes then add:
*1 package baby spinach
*1 cup cream or half-n-half
TaDa!
Love this because you truly can spice it up to taste and so much depends on the sausage you use. Also, I always buy a second bag of potatoes to add after first meal. The kids tend to like them best and the red skins cook up so quickly it isn’t a problem to simmer it a while longer and have them available for leftovers.