Jereme's Kitchen

If you’re looking for something to serve as a side for the upcoming holidays, give this recipe a try.  It’s rich and creamy without using any cream at all, so it’s a little bit more waistline friendly.  This was taken from the cookbook An American Bounty from The Culinary Institute of America.  What’s nice about this cookbook is that it gives you some nutritional information with each recipe.  And this recipe is healthier than you think — 180 calories, 4 g protein, 10 g fat, 18 g carbohydrates, 285 mg sodium, and 40 mg cholesterol per 6 oz. serving.  It will serve 4 – 6 people.

I did try my best at making some fancy design like those baristas at those fancy coffee houses.  It almost worked, but since the densities of the soup and the cream were so different, designs really didn’t want to stay put.  I eventually settled on swirling everything together, which I liked.  It kinda looks like Jupiter. . . kinda. . . well, not really.  But I digress, here’s what you need:

• 1 T. unsalted butter
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 carrot, diced
• 1 celery stalk, trimmed and diced
• 1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
• 1 t. ground ginger
• 3-4 c. chicken broth
• 2 c. butternut squash, cubed
• 1 c. acorn squash, cubed
• 1/2 potato, peeled and sliced
• 1/2 t. salt, or to taste
• 1/4 t. freshly ground pepper, or to taste
• 1 t. julienned orange zest

1.  Heat the butter in a soup pot over medium heat.

2.  Add the onion, carrot, celery, and garlic.  Sauté, stirring frequently, until the onion is tender and translucent, about 5-6 minutes.

3.  Add the ginger and sauté for another minute.

4.  Add the broth, squashes, and potato.  Bring the broth to a full boil over medium heat, then reduce the heat to low.  Simmer until the squashes are tender enough to pierce easily with a fork, about 20 minutes.

5.  Remove the soup from the heat and allow it to cool briefly.  Purée the soup with an immersion blender, food processor, or run it through a food mill.

6.  Return the soup to the pot and bring to a simmer.  Adjust the consistency, if necessary, by adding additional broth or water.  Taste the soup and add salt, pepper, and orange zest.

7.  Serve the soup in a heated tureen or individual bowls.

Notes — If you wanted to make this vegan, just substitute the butter with some olive oil and switch the chicken broth with some vegetable broth. . . add a few drops of lemon or lime juice to brighten the flavor. . . you can add a T. of orange juice concentration with the final flavor adjustment. . . if you wanted to make this in advance, complete up to step 5, cool the soup to room temperature, and refrigerate or freeze.  Before serving, return the soup to a full boil, and make final adjustments. . . can be served chilled. . . whip a little heavy cream to soft peaks, fold in an equal amount of sour cream, and add freshly grated ginger, to taste.  add a dollop to each portion. . .