hello all!
the weather here in seattle is definitely taking a turn to the chilly side and feeling truly like fall! fall makes me think and feel so many things...but when it comes to what my belly thinks about fall, it's all about soup!
one of my ABSOLUTE favorite fall soups is curried butternut squash...my mouth waters just thinking about it! every time i make it, it is a slightly different version. (as i mentioned before...i'm not so good at sticking to "the rules", so i tend to always change things up in my recipes)
...so, here (below) is a little taste of the yummy ingredients that go into a curried butternut squash soup...if you are chomping at the bit to try it, there are definitely lots of delicious recipes that you could find online...OR i could give you my 2010 version after i throw it together this weekend!...OR you could experiment with your own version (let me know if you do! i would love to hear how it turns out!)
this time around, i am finally going to make my own curry powder from scratch :) as you see, i have given the ingredients for this, too! i admit that i have always cheated and used the store bought powder...which is still delicious, but there is always just something a little extra special when you go the extra step :)
oh! and don't forget your garnishes! sooooooo important! my favorite is a combination of seared radicchio (sear w/ olive oil, sea salt & pepper & a smidgen of balsamic vinegar) & creme fraiche... ohhhh, i can't wait!
happy friday & a very happy weekend!!!
UPDATE: here is my recipe for the soup...it turned out perfect! this recipe serves a small army or allows for many days of soup...so feel free to cut ingredients in half :)
curry powder - even though i say i don't really follow recipes, i did follow this one from chow, since i had never made curry powder before...i suggest it! soup -
2 smallish butternut squashes (approx 7 to 8 lbs total), cut in half lengthwise & cavities scooped out
1 yellow onion, quartered
2 garlic cloves, halved
approximately 1/4 cup olive oil, or use best judgement in cooking...you just don't want your squash to dry out as it is roasting
curry powder added to your tasting...i like a lot of curry, so i probably added 3 tbsp or more
salt, to your liking (i used a combo of sea & kosher)
fresh ground black pepper, to your liking
2 1/2 veggie bouillon cubes - i used rapunzel brand vegan vegetable bouillon w/ sea salt & herbs (follow instructions on box for water ratio for boiling) garnish -
1 small head radicchio, chopped & sliced into thin strips (you will probably not need to use the whole head for the first go around, only chop what you will need...you will want to freshly sear the radicchio for left over soup)
olive oil to coat the pan
sea salt
a dollop of creme fraiche
a sprinkle of oregano
prepare -
1/ preheat oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit
2/ line 2 baking dishes with parchment paper
3/ arrange squash in baking dishes with skin side down
4/ baste squash with olive oil, coating all flesh, & drizzle oil into the cavity of each
squash, filling half way
5/ place one quartered onion and one half garlic clove into each squash cavity, making
sure that they are entirely coated in olive oil
6/ season squash with curry powder, sea salt & pepper to your liking & roast for
approximately 1 hr, or until squash is very soft all the way through - check in on
squash a couple of times while roasting & scoop olive oil from cavity to coat the rest
of the squash to keep moist
7/ while squash is roasting, prepare the bouillon broth
8/ allow squash & broth to cool - in the meantime, you can sear your radicchio for
approximately 5 minutes (or until tender) in a small pan over moderately high heat w/
olive oil & sea salt & black pepper, adding the balsamic vinegar at the last few
seconds of cooking
9/ it is up to you if you want to leave the squash skin on or remove it...i personally like it
on - blend together approximately half a squash & 1 1/2 cups broth at a time w/ onion
& garlic - this is also where i add more curry & salt and pepper to my liking - puree
until mostly smooth
10/ after pureeing each batch, pour into a pot to reheat on the stove top
11/ to serve, garnish with a tablespoon each of radicchio & creme fraiche and a sprinkle
of oregano
12/ enjoy!!!
13/ bonus: if you live in the seattle area, you must try this with a slice of The Essential hazelnuts...the contrast of the sweet bread with the curry is deeeeelish!
