Curry Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

Curry Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

Picture 1 of 4

I’m going to make a confession. I like soup. A lot of people are just like its just a bunch of boiled stuff, but it’s so much more. Something about a bowl of steaming ambrosia that makes a cold night. This soup is great for a nippy late summer evening.

Ingredients

  • 1 lb of butternut squash
  • 3-4 cups of chicken or vegetable stock
  • 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil
  • salt
  • half a lemon
  • fresh ground black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon of madras curry powder

Prep

Peel the squash and cut it into 1 inch cubes.

Cooking

Preheat your oven to about 425 degrees. Toss the squash in a large mixing bowl with the curry powder and olive oil. Add a good amount of fresh ground black pepper.

Squash

 

Transfer the squash onto a cookie sheet in a single layer. Roast it in the oven until the pieces in the center are tender to a fork.

Remove the squash from the oven and let them cool for 10 minutes. Transfer it into your blender and add 3/4 of the stock. Make sure to cover the blender with a kitchen towel. Juice the lemon into the blender. Puree the whole deal until its smooth, adding stock as needed to get the consistency you like. I personally like my soup not too soupy so I usually go like 85%-90% of the stock. Transfer the soup to a pot on the stove and bring it to a boil again. Salt to taste. Be sure to stir the pot as it heats as this soup can scorch and burn on the bottom. Garnish with a little basil or yogurt and you’re all set.

Curry Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

Lentil Soup

Lentil Soup

Picture 1 of 11

Here’s another one for a cold night.

Ingredients

  • 1/2 a medium onion
  • 1 carrot
  • 1 stick of celery
  • 1/2 lb of green lentils
  • 1 quart of unsalted chicken stock
  • 1-2 gloves of garlic
  • pinch of thyme and oregano
  • 1 teaspoon tomato paste
  • 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil

Prep

Finely dice the onion, carrot and celery into a mire poix. Mince garlic. Go through your lentils and pick out any dirt or stones. Rinse them several times in a deep bowl discarding any hollow ones that float to the top while again picking out any stones. I’ve only got random stuff like one in ten times but its better safe than eating dirt I always say.

Raw

Cooking

Add your olive oil to a large pot and heat over medium high heat it until it shimmers. Add the mire poix and stir it lightly for about 4-5 minutes about until the onions have started to become translucent.

Sweating

Add your stock, spices and tomato paste. Bring the whole thing to a boil and then reduce to a low soft simmer. Simmer for 20-30 minutes until the lentils are tender and the soup has thickened. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve with a garnish of chopped parsley.

Lentil Soup

Choy Egg Drop Soup

Choy and Egg Drop Soup

Picture 1 of 2

This soup inspired by one of my mom’s is based on the stock I made earlier this week. It takes less than 15 minutes to make if you have to stock on hand and is fool proof way to make greens.

Ingredients

  • 2 cups of chicken stock
  • 1/4 lb of young choy stalks
  • 1 thin slice of ginger
  • 1 egg
  • 1/2 teaspoon soy sauce
  • salt and pepper
Choy is a very general term for leafy Chinese greens. In this dish I’m using a variety of bok choy that roughly translated from Chinese means “vegetable heart”. Any leafy green that cooks quickly will do.

Prep

Wash the choy a few times and cut it into 4 inch lengths.

Cooking

Bring your stock to a boil in a pan. Add ginger and choy. Blanch for 3-4 minutes until the choy just starts to become tender. Remove the choy. Crack an egg into the broth and stir it in to get the delicate wisps. Hit the broth with a dash of soy. Then salt and pepper to taste. Serve the choi in a bowl and spoon the broth over. I’ve garnished it with a bit of fresh carrot above, but the dish is fine without.

Choy and Egg Drop Soup