Ginger Squash Soup
by Brenda Langton, Tastemaker in Residence - recipe from my Spoonriver Cookbook
This rich and creamy soup is often requested in fall and winter. We consider it to be the ultimate comfort food. You can experiment with the many winter squash varieties. Some are sweeter or richer than others, but they all make great soup. Some great assorted winter squash, includes butternut, kabocha, acorn, delicata, and carnival!
// Serves 4 to 6
Ingredients
1 medium butternut or buttercup squash
2 Tbsp vegetable oil or butter
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
3 Tbsp peeled and chopped ginger root
2 large cloves garlic, chopped
4 cups vegetable stock or water
3 Tbsp yellow or white miso (optional)
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp white pepper
Juice of 1 orange
1/4 to 1/2 cup half-and-half (optional)
Instructions
Wash the squash well and peel it. Save the peelings to use for making stock
Chop the squash into 1-inch pieces, discarding the seeds. You should have about 4 1/2 cups of chopped squash.
Heat the oil in a large soup pot, and sauté the onion, ginger, and garlic. When the onion has softened, add the squash.
Add the stock and cover the pot. Simmer over medium heat for 30 to 40 minutes. Add the miso (if using), salt, pepper, and orange juice.
Working in small batches, puree the soup in a blender until smooth. Stir in the half-and-half (if using). If soup is too thick, add more stock.