My fall foodie obsession has been soups. More specifically, soups made with either squash or pumpkin. The West Chester Growers Market has had a fabulous selection of autumn gourds this season. With names like Blue Hubbard, Delicata, Spaghetti and Cheese Pumpkin, I’ve made a batch of soup at least once a week throughout the season. One of the best parts about making these soups is that the chef can easily customize the recipe according to personal preferences. If spicy soup is preferred, add a dash of chili powder or a jalapeno pepper. More standard flavors can be obtained by adding a bit of cinnamon and nutmeg.
After arriving home with any one of the selection from the market, I read through a selection of soup recipes, noting what they shared in common in both ingredients and preparation techniques. I also read through the comments, where cooks have added their own thoughts on how to best modify the recipe.
Early on, I found the best way to carve up a squash or pumpkin is to quarter it, taking out the seeds, and roasting the quarters in the oven at 350 or 375 degrees for about 35-40 minutes. To determine if the squash is fully roasted, simply talk a spoon and carve out a small section of the meat. If the meat can be carved out effortlessly, the gourd is ready to let cool. Once cooled, shaving the pulp out with a spoon is easy and fun.
Butternut Squash is versatile. It makes for a great base that works with many different herbs and spices. I picked up a bottle of curry paste and often stir in a tablespoonful to the final pot as it simmers, providing just the right amount of spice. Some recipes call for coconut milk, but I’ve often modified the soup using just a dash of milk or no milk at all. Oh, if you decide to use curry, adding a dollop of sour cream right before serving is the perfect final touch.
Here’s a few of the base recipes I’ve used — always modifying based on what’s in my kitchen.
- This Butternut Squash soup from All Recipes is one of the simplest. It provides a base soup that can be seasoned to taste.
- Here’s a recipe from Yummly for Butternut Squash Soup with a Kick. This includes coconut which balances off the jalapeno pepper.
- Foodies may cringe when I tell them I found my Cheese Pumpkin Soup recipe on a local Patch website, but it is East Hampton Patch, and this soup is delicious. They key is adding in the maple syrup during the final simmer.
Finally, if you are going to have an obsession with soup this winter, you need to pair it with excellent homemade Artisan bread. Who has time to make bread at home? There’s a recipe from this website called Artisan Bread in Five minutes that really works. The five minute part is misleading, but this recipe does allow you to easily make a large batch of bread dough and leave it in your refrigerator for up to two weeks. When you want to bake some bread, pull out the amount of dough you need, let it warm to room temperature, and bake away. This bread provides the perfect pairing for your squash soups this winter. Enjoy.
