Winter Squash Soup

All of a sudden, it was Squash Overload in my kitchen!

My daughter and I split the Red Kuri and the Black Japanese Futsu squash, in the front left. I decided to roast my halves with the big Butternut Squash. No oil, salt, pepper. . .nothing this time, just plain cut squash.

I cleaned out the seeds then roasted the squash pieces at 375° for almost an hour. I couldn't believe how easily the skins came off! I usually attempt to peel them before roasting! What a struggle that is! (the bright yellow Delicata, Sweet Dumpling and Carnival will be another recipe, or two in the next few days.)

When the squash is done, put it on the counter to cool a bit. Peel it and put it aside until the aromatic vegetables have sautéed. Once the pieces were peeled, their total weight was 4½#.

Chop and Sauté:

1 medium winter onion

1 lg. purple shallot

1 lg. garlic clove

2 stalks of celery (with the finely chopped tops added later) in 2T coconut oil or EVOO

Stir in 1-2t fresh ground black pepper

¼-½t cayenne pepper

2T coconut sugar

When this begins to brown, add a little water. Eventually, you'll add a total of 3 cups, a little at a time. Put the squash into the pot and break it up with a wooden spoon or a potato masher. Add the celery tops, the rest of the water, and:

2-3T vegetable or chicken Better Than Bouillon

2T pumpkin pie spice

Simmer 15 minutes. Blend* this with a regular blender or an immersion blender. Add a 14oz. can of coconut milk, stir and heat again to just a low simmer. Serve with some craisins, a little dab of sour cream and a sprinkle of spiced turbinado sugar. The sweetness brings out the flavor of the squash. . .Lin

*If you like your soup really smooth, silky and glistening, use a regular blender. I like mine with a little texture, so I used my immersion blender.

Coconut Curry Kobocha Squash Soup

1 med. kobocha squash

3-4 med. sweet potatoes

1 lg. red onion

extra virgin olive oil

fresh ground garlic sea salt

finely ground black pepper

2t curry powder

1T pumpkin pie spice

½ 13.5oz can coconut milk

Cut the squash in half.  Scoop out the seeds.  Cut in pieces and put into a big mixing bowl.  Rough peel and cube the sweet potatoes.  Immediately, put them into a bowl or pan with enough salted water to cover them.  Rough chop the onion and put that in the bowl with the squash.  Drain, rinse and dry the sweet potatoes.  Put them with the other vegetables.  Drizzle with olive oil, then sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Move them all around a little to coat and distribute the seasonings.  Roast in a 375° 30 minutes or a little longer, checking them halfway and move them around to ensure they're all still coated in the seasoned oil, and getting done well.

When they're slightly browned and cooked they're done.  Let them cool a half hour or so.  Peel or scrape the squash out of the shells, into a 5 qt. pot.  Add the other vegetables, seasonings and mash with a potato masher, then add a cup or two of water.  Simmer about 10 minutes, the cool again.  Put this in your blender, ⅓ at a time.  Pour into another big pan, stir, check flavors and add whatever is needed.  Stir in coconut milk, half a can at a time.  After the first addition, if everything has come together well, you can stop, or add the rest.

Heat, just to a little bubble, and serve.  This recipe makes a big pot of soup.  I think this would freeze well, but people also appreciate getting containers of it as a surprise when you go to visit them.  Top with a little sour cream, a sprinkle of pine nuts or sunflower seeds. . .Lin

Winter Squash Soup

2T coconut oil

6 cloves of garlic - minced

1/2 med. onion - chopped

1 lg. Butternut squash

1 sm.-med. Kobocha squash

1 lg. sweet red pepper

1 med. onion

coarse sea salt and black pepper

1T coconut oil

1t hot Hungarian paprika

1t cinnamon

1/2t coarse sea salt

1-2T chicken soup base

1c coconut milk coffee creamer

- or coconut milk - or half and half

Put 2T of the coconut oil into a 5qt. pot.  Add the garlic and onion.  Simmer-stir-fry until the onion is translucent and the garlic begins to brown.  Cut the squash in half, or quarters if large, and scrape out all the seeds and stringiness with a metal spoon.  Roast the squash, 1 onion and pepper, after preparing as shown, on baking sheets covered with parchment paper, and after drizzling with 1T melted coconut oil

and seasoned with salt and pepper.  Place in 350° oven and cook about an hour, or until the squash is soft.  Remove from oven and cool on the baking sheets, about 20 minutes, or until everything is cool enough to handle.

Scoop out all the squash being careful not to scrape through the skin.  Slice-chop the roasted onion and peeled pepper, then add these, and the squash to the pot.  Mash well, then add the remaining spices and soup base.

Stir in 3 cups of water and bring to a simmer.  If you want, you could blend the soup at this point of you'd rather have a smoother texture.  Let simmer on low 10-15 minutes, stir in the milk, then bring to a simmer again, turn off heat and serve.  Shown here with croutons, pumpkin seeds and sour cream. . .Lin