October Recipe

I have some impulse control issues around squash. A butternut squash soup, patiently made with my mother, was my first memory of really loving a vegetable — celebrating its essential squash-ness. It was the start of my appreciation for the cucurbit family.

At the farmer’s market I invariably end up taking home too many. There’s something so promising about them, harbingers of the new season. Smooth or gnarled, orange, yellow, or striped with green. I’ve even had to scratch them from my (limited, scattered) vegetable plot because I can’t pick just one. Or two. They’re beautiful and lend themselves to such generous, warming dishes. I’m especially fond of the kabochas because you can keep the skin on. The recipe below trades on the lovely red varieties: when you blend them, you end up with gorgeous, deep orange flecks throughout the soup.

ROASTED KABOCHA SQUASH SOUP

adapted from Gwyneth Paltrow’s The Clean Plate

Serves 4

1 medium kabocha squash, cut in half with seeds removed

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons coconut oil

1 large onion, sliced

salt

2 cloves garlic, sliced

2 tablespoons chopped ginger

1 teaspoon ground cumin

½ teaspoon ground coriander

½ teaspoon garam masala

3 cups chicken or vegetable stock

To serve: creme fraiche (or non-dairy yogurt of your choice), fennel pollen, lime zest

Preheat the oven to 400°F.  Sprinkle halves with salt and rub with 1 tablespoon of oil.  Place flesh side down on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.  Bake until tender and starting to brown at the edges, about 35 minutes.

While the squash bakes, soften the onions: Heat the coconut oil in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat. Add the sliced onion, season with salt, stir, and then reduce heat to low/medium-low. Cover the pot and cook for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions are very soft and sweet.  You don’t want them to color or stick to the pan. 

Once the onions are done, add the garlic, ginger, and ground spices; turn the heat back up to medium-high and sauté for 1 minute. Once you can smell the spices, add the stock and another pinch of salt.  Reduce heat to a simmer, and partially cover soup.

Remove squash from the oven, let it cool slightly, and then scrape away any rough bits of skin and the stem and blossom ends. Add the flesh and skin to the saucepan. Bring the soup up to a boil, then reduce to a simmer, partially cover, and slowly cook for 10 minutes.

Blend the soup in a blender or with a stand mixer (the former will be smoother), season to taste. I love to serve it with creme fraiche, fennel pollen if I have it, and lime zest.