More soup for your soul

This soup makes me really happy. It's perfect. It probably beats all other soups I have made, even the Carrot, Ginger, and Cashew soup. I'll leave you with that...and, of course, the recipe.


Butternut Squash Soup

3 whole butternut squash, peeled and diced
3 stalks celery, diced
1/2 onion, diced
1 carrot, diced
1 tbsp. ground ginger
1 qt. vegetable stock (or chicken stock)
1/4 cup vegetable oil
salt and pepper

1. Sauté onion, carrot, celery and squash until onions and celery are translucent, about 5 minutes.

2. Add ground ginger and vegetable stock. Simmer 15-25 minutes until squash is soft.

3. Puree mixture; season to taste with salt and pepper.






P.S. This recipe is from my friend Maggie's sister, Claire's, cookbook. It is no normal cookbook. In an effort to raise money for the Evanston Community Foundation, she went around and asked for recipes from a few favorite restaurants in Evanston, IL. Well, she did a great job. The cookbook has a lot of great recipes, and it makes you wonder why the restaurants even gave away their secrets! This butternut squash soup recipe is from a restaurant called Prairie Moon. Great idea, right?

P.S.S. This soup is actually one of three parts. It is one part of New Mexican Painted Soup. The second part is a tomato soup and the third part is a roasted poblano potato puree. You are supposed to layer the three soups. Start with the squash soup, then the tomato soup, and then the roasted poblano soup. If you want, you can swirl them all together, or enjoy them separately. Don't worry, I will give you the two other recipes! Did you really think I would leave you with just that?

Tomato Soup

8 Roma tomatoes, diced
1 whole onion, diced
1 tbsp. garlic
2 cups vegetable stock
1 bay leaf
salt and pepper

1. Sauté onions until translucent. About 5 minutes.

2. Add garlic. Sauté for 30 seconds.

3. Add bay leaf. Sauté to toast leaf, releasing flavors.

4. Toss in diced tomatoes.

5. Add vegetable stock. Bring to boil, and then reduce to simmer 20 minutes.

6. Puree.

7 Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Roasted Poblano Potato Puree

2 poblanos
1 diced onion
1 large potato diced
2 tbsp. vegetable oil
1-1/2 cup vegetable stock
salt and pepper

1. Roast poblanos in oven (high heat!). Cover in bowl with plastic wrap for 10 minutes until skin is tender. Remove skin and seeds.

2. Sauté the onions until translucent, about 5 minutes, add potatoes and cook another 5 minutes. Add chilies.

3. Add vegetable stock and simmer for 20 minutes.

4. Puree and season to taste.