Soup-off!

I had mentioned to Court a few days ago that I wanted to post a butternut squash soup recipe, and she said she'd been thinking the same thing. The next logical step was to have a soup-off, so we met up last night at Court's place. The result - a draw!

Court's Curry Squash Soup: pictured top right
half a squash (used butternut)
olive oil
half an onion
one clove garlic
2 cups/500ml chicken or vegetable stock
1 teaspoon curry powder
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1/4 cup/62ml coconut milk or cream
salt and pepper to taste

Brush the squash with olive oil, and roast it at 350F/180C for 30-40 minutes (until tender and cooked through). While the squash is roasting, saute the onions and garlic until soft. Put the squash, onions and garlic into your blender with half a cup of the stock and puree until smooth. Pour it into your soup pot with the remaining stock and coconut milk and mix until consistent. Add the spices as indicated, or to taste. The curry flavor as written is fairly subtle. Top with a garnish of sour cream.


Brooke's Squash Soup: pictured top left
1 squash (used kabocha - 1.25 kg)
1 tbsp melted margarine, salt & pepper
2.5-3.5 cups/625-875ml chicken or vegetable stock (or more)
2-3 tsp grated ginger
1/2 cup/125ml heavy cream
salt & pepper to taste

De-seed the squash and cut it into 2 inch cubes. Put it on a plate or a microwave-safe dish, brush with melted margarine, and season with salt & pepper. Microwave it on high for 4-6 minutes until soft - I did this in two batches as I had a lot of squash. Let it cool down a bit, and then peel the squash. Put the squash into a pot with the ginger, adding the stock a bit at a time. Puree using an immersion (stick) blender. Add enough stock to bring it to your desired consistency and bring to a simmer on medium heat. Reduce the heat to low and add the cream, then return to a simmer. Season with salt & pepper to taste.

If you don't want to cook the squash in the microwave, it can be roasted as per Court's instructions, and if you don't have an immersion blender it can be pureed in a blender or food processor. As I love ginger I used a lot of it, but this could be taken down a bit or you could substitute your own favourite seasoning.