The weather here today is miserable if you're, say, going on a field trip to a pumpkin patch*, but just right for making soup. Here's the recipe for the squash soup I showed off a couple of weeks ago -- I've had the chance to play around with the recipe, & I think it's just about perfect now.
Curried Roasted Vegetable Soup
1 small winter squash (1 lb when seeded), cut in half & seeds scooped out
2 russet potatoes, scrubbed & cut in quarters
2 carrots, scrubbed & cut in half (quartered if really thick)
6 cloves garlic, unpeeled
4 c vegetable stock
1/2 - 1 tsp curry powder (depending on your tastes & how hot your curry is)
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp - 1T maple syrup (to taste)
olive oil
salt & pepper
Preheat oven to 375F & line a baking sheet with foil. Prepare vegetables -- I like the carrots & potatoes unpeeled for an earthier flavor, but you can peel if you'd like. Brush the cut surfaces of the squash with olive oil, tuck the unpeeled garlic cloves into the cavities, & put cut side down on the baking sheet. Toss the carrots & potatoes with a little olive oil, sprinkle with salt & pepper, & spread out in a single layer around the squash.
Roast the vegetables in the middle of the oven for about 40 minutes, or until the squash is soft & the carrots & potatoes are browned & tender. Set aside until cool enough to handle, then coarsely chop the carrots & potatoes, peel the garlic cloves (or just squish them out of their skins), & scoop out the squash flesh.
(These potatoes are peeled, obviously -- the skins were too green to leave on. The soup is tasty either way!)
Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a big pot (or a dutch oven!) over medium heat, then add the curry powder, oregano, & cumin, & stir for about thirty seconds. Add the vegetables to the pot, stir to coat with the spices, & then add the vegetable stock. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat & simmer for 20-30 minutes.
At this point, the potatoes & carrots should be falling-apart tender (the squash will have melted into the stock already), & you can puree half or all of it either with a stick blender (my preferred method) or by scooping some out of the pot into your blender or food processor. After you blend the soup it might be thicker than you'd like; just add some water to thin it back out. Stir in the maple syrup (I use the smaller amount because I like this soup to be more savory than sweet) plus salt & pepper (lots of pepper!) to taste.
This is one of those soups that is really best if you allow it to sit a while before serving (but reheat it before eating!), & is even better the next day. We like it served with a dollop of plain goat yogurt (though other plain yogurt would work just as well) &, if we're feeling fancy, topped with fried sage leaves (scroll to the bottom of the post for how-to). It goes great with a thick slice of whole wheat bread, or maybe some drop biscuits.
Oh, I love soup season.
*Unless you're five, when pretty much everything involving mud is fun.
