Butternut squash soup

We get random vegetables in our CSA box and I’ve been trying to be better about finding things to cook with them. Today’s challenge: butternut squash.

The first attempt was chicken and squash thai curry, which was … eh. The flavor was OK, but not great.

Today’s attempt was squash soup from one of our vegetarian cookbooks.

Roast squash, onions and carrots in a 350 oven until very tender. Roast some garlic, too.

When everything is cooked, add it into a blender with a little vegetable stock (about 2 cups) until it’s smooth.

Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a heavy pan. Add 1 tablespoon of curry powder and fry until fragrant. Add the pureed vegetables, another cup of vegetable stock, cinnamon, salt, 1/4 cup of dry sherry, fresh ground pepper and dried oregano.  Bring to a simmer and cook for 10 – 15 minutes over low heat.

While the soup was simmering, I made garlic croutons and toasted some walnuts.

To assemble the soup I dished up an appropriate amount into warmed soup bowls. I topped it with fresh croutons, walnuts and a dollop of sour cream.

It was pretty good, but next time I’d make a few changes.

First off, I’d use bacon bits instead of walnuts. It needed some salty, crunchy bits and we’re not committed vegetarians, so a little bacon (or lardons) would be good. Secondly I’d increase the amount of all the spices, including the curry powder. It needs something to cut the sweetness of the vegetables a bit, and a little more heat would do it. I’d also probably add some non-roasted garlic. Roasting the veggies brings out so much sweetness and the sherry and curry just doesn’t contrast that enough for our taste.

Overall a good experiment, but a few changes would make it a much tastier dish.

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