Summer Squash Soup
I love a good soup. Love it. Especially a creamy one that is full of flavor and that I don’t have to chew. And one that can be served hot or chilled? Even better.
We are overwhelmed with squash right now, so we are cooking it every way possible. We’re oven frying it, grilling it, and eating it raw in salads. But today we’ll talk about this soup because after I made it, I made it again … and again. And I told my mom about it, and now she’s obsessed, too. It may just be my favorite way to eat squash right now.
This soup is really forgiving and versatile. You could also make it with our golden zucchini. (You could use green zucchini, too, but the color wouldn’t be quite so sunny).
I started with about 4 cups of squash, which I cut into large chunks. (This is about 6 small squash or 3 medium sized ones). I also threw in a leek and elephant garlic. (You can easily use about a quarter of a sweet onion and regular garlic, or even a shallot, if that’s what you have available).
I boiled the veggies in about 1.5 cups of water for about 30-40 minutes (until they were REALLY soft).
I added 1/4 cup of raw, organic cashews to my soup. These don’t do anything for the flavor, but they help thicken the soup and make it super-creamy. (If you don’t have a high-speed blender, you can easily leave these out or substitute 2-3 TBSP of *raw* cashew butter or even a few tablespoons of plain yogurt or sour cream).
07/10/16 Up-Date: You can sub 1/2 C of plain, cooked white rice for the cashews and the result is a lower fat soup with the same thick, creamy texture.
Once the veggies are soft, use a slotted spoon to move them to your blender. Add the cashews here, too. (If you aren’t using cashews and you have an immersion blender, just strain your veggies, put them back in the pan, and blend away).
Season as desired. There are lots of options here. For basic squash soup, just use salt and a tiny spritz of lemon juice. You can also add 1/4 tsp of white pepper for soup with a little kick. Or a dash of nutmeg for something cozy. For a more flavorful option, add a bit of canned full-fat coconut milk, a dash of turmeric, a bit of curry, and lime juice. Really, the possibilities are endless.
If you have leftover soup (or if you want to gift a batch), it stores well in a mason jar in the fridge.
- 4 C squash (in large chunks)
- 1 clove elephant garlic
- 1 leek (white part only)
- 1 1/2 C water
- 1/4 C raw, organic cashews (optional)
- 3/4 tsp salt
- Put squash, garlic, and leek in a pot with the water. Bring to a boil and simmer, covered, for about 30-40 minutes (until the veggies are very soft).
- Use a slotted spoon to move the cooked veggies to your blender. Discard the cooking water. Add the (optional) cashews here, too.
- Start blending on a low setting and slowly increase the blender speed. You may have to take the lid off a few times and scrape down the sides. Remember: the veggies are HOT, so be sure that your blender lid is secure and hold it down with a towel while you're blending.
- Season your soup as desired.
- This recipe makes about 3 cups of soup.
- If you have a high speed blender, the cashews make this soup super-creamy and act as a thickener. However, they aren't necessary so feel free to omit them if you don't have them. If you want, you can substitute a few tablespoons of *raw* organic cashew butter or plain yogurt or sour cream. You could probably use cream cheese, too, if you don't mind a heavier soup.
- This soup is wonderful plain, just seasoned with a bit of salt and maybe a spritz of lemon juice. For added spice, add 1/4 tsp white pepper (it won't change the color but will give a nice "kick").
- For an Indian-inspired soup (or as a great sauce for veggies and rice), skip the cashews and add about 1/4 cup canned, full-fat coconut milk, about 1 tbsp lime juice, and a few shakes each of curry powder, turmeric, and red pepper flakes.
- 07/10/16 Up-Date: We made this soup using 1/2 C cooked white rice in place of the cashews. It was delicious, and it thickened really well. The taste was not altered. Consider this modification if you prefer a low fat diet.
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