There's a lot of change going on this month. I am moving to a new apartment. Then, in true freelance form, a project started and suddenly stopped. When change comes about, I love to make a big pot of something simple, so at least I know I have consistent meals in between bubble wrap and boxes.
This soup became a gift to myself. One meal-making session created four dinners during a time when I'm so busy, I'm forgetting to eat or am skipping meals, and its simplicity makes it a new favorite recipe. The base has eight ingredients (read: what I had left lying around), and that's counting water, salt and pepper. It's an homage to the new ingredients the season brings, in food and life.
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| You're going to make a nice soup. |
Kabocha Squash Soup
Burwell General Store
Serves: Eight
Ingredients:
Soup:
1 Kabocha Squash, halved, seeded and roasted (If you can't find a Kabocha squash, try one butternut and one acorn squash to replicate the Kabocha since butternuts are relatively sweet.)
3-4 large cloves shallot (a scant 1/2 cup, minced)
2 Tbsp. fresh sage, chopped
16 oz. organic or homemade vegetable or chicken stock (I used veggie)
Approx. 4 cups water
2 Tbsp. dark brown or Demerara sugar
salt and pepper to taste
olive oil to drizzle
Garnish:
toasted pecans
Fried sage leaves (hot olive oil, fry ten seconds a side until the leaves turn deep green, drain)
Parmesan cheese
Whole grain bread on the side (Not shown. I absentmindedly ate it while taking the pictures.)
Preheat oven to 375F. Halve, seed, oil and roast a Kabocha squash on a sheet pan for 45min-1hr until fork-tender. Let cool, then scoop out the flesh and discard the skins. In a stock pot, saute shallot until translucent. Add sage and stir for a minute. Add squash, stock and three cups of water and let come to a simmer. Season liberally with salt and pepper, add sugar and simmer for another half hour, making sure everything is still stirring around in the pot, adding more water if it isn't. Press soup through a fine mesh sieve or blend in batches in a blender until you reach a smooth consistency with a few bits of texture here and there. Return to pot and add any final water if you desire a thinner soup. To serve, top with toasted pecans, grated Parmesan and fried sage, warmed bread on the side.
Notes: My pot kept for four days in the fridge, but I imagine this freezes nicely, too. This can be completely vegan if you use vegetable stock and omit the Parmesan cheese.
