Fall is here; the leaves are changing colors, the sky is deep blue, and the temperatures are dropping. I think a nice hot soup for supper will be more than welcome during cold days.
Butternut squash is a type of fall/winter squash. It has a sweet, nutty taste similar to that of a pumpkin. It has yellow skin and orange, fleshy pulp. Although it is considered a fruit, it is used like a vegetable in soup, or roasted, toasted, or mashed. It is sometimes used in bread and muffins as well.
It is a good source of fiber, vitamin C, manganese, magnesium, and potassium. It is also an excellent source of vitamin A and vitamin E.
Preparation:
Serving: 10 people
Prep time: 30 min
Cooking time: 30 min
Ingredients:
1 Butternut squash
1 onion
1 garlic clove
3 leeks
3 carrots
1 tbsp. olive oil
8 cups / 2 L water
1 chicken stock cube
2 herbs stock cubes (replace with chicken cube if you can’t find herbs cubes)
Chopped fresh cilantro
Use a pressure cooker if you have one. A normal pan can be used as well but the cooking time will be longer.
1- Pour the olive oil into the pan on high heat. Peel and cut the onion into 8 pieces. Peel the garlic clove and cut it lengthwise in two to remove the stem. Cut it into big pieces and throw them with the onions in the pan. Stir a little bit. Don’t color the onions.
2- Wash the leeks and cut them into large slices (1.5 cm or ½ inch). Add them to the pan and stir. You can use a little bit of the green part.
3- Peel the carrots and cut them into large slices as well. Throw them in the pan and stir.
4- Cut the butternut squash in two. Peel the squash to remove its hard skin. Use a spoon to remove the seeds. Cut it into small cubes of 2.5 cm or an inch. Add them to the vegetables in the pan and stir for a minute.
5- Add the water and the stock cubes. Cover with the lid and leave it until the pressure cooker whistles. If you are using a normal pan, it might take 45 min for the vegetables to be cooked. If the water is evaporating, add water during the cooking.
6- Remove the pan from the heat and leave it to cool down. Remove the lid and use a hand blender to mix the soup. You can also use a food processor or a blender.
7- There are two ways to serve the soup. You can just mix the vegetables and serve with the pulp, or you can pass the soup into a colander to obtain a creamy mixture. The taste doesn’t really change but the aspect and texture are a bit different.
8- Sprinkle freshly chopped cilantro in the middle. Depending on your taste, 1tsp for the décor or 1 tbsp for the taste.
Bon appétit!
very gooood indeed!