Curried Mushroom and Squash Soup
This hearty soup recipe is great for fall and winter dinners or a special dinner for company. Originally from the Moosewood Cookbook, it's a treasure for vegetarians and hungry winter appetites.
Ingredients
- 2 medium butternut or acorn squash
- 2 ½ cups water or stock
- 1 cup orange juice or cider
- 2 tbsp butter
- ½ cup onion, chopped
- 1 medium clove garlic, crushed
- 6 oz mushrooms, sliced
- 3 cups tart apples
- 2 cups sweet potato, diced
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- ½ tsp ground coriander
- ½ tsp ground ginger
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- ¼ tsp dry mustard
- 1 tsp salt
- dashes cayenne (or a little of favorite hot sauce)
- Optional: fresh lemon juice or ¼ sherry, sweet vermouth or port
- Optional: chopped, toasted almonds or yogurt garnishes
Instructions
- Split the squash lengthwise and bake face-down in a 375° oven on an oiled tray., 30 minutes, or until soft.
- Cool and scoop out insides. You'll need 3 cups worth. Put in a blender with water or stock and puree until smooth.
- Combine in large saucepan with orange juice.
- Heat butter in a skillet and add garlic, onion, salt and spices. Saute until onion is very soft. Add apples and saute. (You may add a little water if they stick to pan.) Add mushrooms, cover and cook 10 minutes.
- Add the saute and sweet potatoes to the squash, scraping the skillet well to salvage all the tasty bits. Heat everything together gently. Taste to correct seasoning. Since this is a fairly sweet soup, you may want to add fresh lemon juice.
- Serve topped with yogurt and chopped, toasted almonds.
Notes
This recipe appears in Moosewood Cookbook by Molly Katzen.
I use a tablespoon of Salt Lick restaurant's Spicy BBQ sauce instead of cayenne. It's made with habanero peppers, but isn't hot. It adds a mild, pleasant kick to food.