No traditional Thanksgiving season vegetable can outclass winter squash with its bountiful nutrients, fiber, rich color and versatility! Although pumpkin gets most of the attention, there are many other winter squash choices available. Be sure to pick a heavy squash (not stored on the shelf for too long) that is unblemished, with a smooth, hard skin. My favorites are butternut and Delicata; both should be the gorgeous color of butterscotch. Happily, butternut squash is available pre-cleaned, peeled and cubed. If you decide to start with a fresh squash, cut 1 inch from both ends of the squash (so that it can stand up on a cutting board without rolling), peel the skin with a sharp, sturdy vegetable peeler, cut in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds with a grapefruit spoon. Cut the peeled flesh into 1 inch cubes.

I prefer to pair winter squash with citrus, such as oranges and tangerines. You can substitute chopped apples or pears to the cooking step of any of these recipe variations. Also, experiment with additions of other fragrant spices, such as ginger (fresh grated or powder), cinnamon or cardamom (my favorite.) Just a reminder … be careful not to boil squash soup after adding citrus juice; it may become bitter!

Ingredients
½ cup chopped onion
2 teaspoons canola oil
1 pound squash cubes, ready to cook
1, grated peel and juice (reserve juice to add last) fresh orange or tangerine
3 cups, or more if thinner soup is preferred vegetable or chicken broth
¼ teaspoon grated nutmeg or spice of choice
Salt and ground pepper to taste
Garnish of chopped roasted chestnuts or toasted pumpkin seeds (optional)

Preparation

1. Pour oil into heavy soup pan, sauté onion until golden, but not brown.
2. Add squash cubes, citrus rind, broth and seasonings. Simmer gently, covered, until squash is tender – about 15 to 20 minutes.
3. Puree in a blender or processor, being careful not to overfill your blender. Hot foods expand!
4. Stir in the citrus juice. Garnish with a teaspoon of chopped roasted chestnuts or toasted pumpkin seeds for the holidays. This soup’s flavor is especially suited for freshly smoked turkey and dark greens. Enjoy!

Number of Cups: 4
Calories/Cup Soup: 90 (w/o garnish)
Total Vegetable Servings: 4

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Source: The Healthy Table

This entry was posted on Wednesday, November 4th, 2009 at 1:18 pm and is filed under Recipes. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.