A recipe card from Chef Renée
AGO Bistro may be closed, but Executive Chef Renée Bellefeuille shares comfort in a bowl with her recipe for roasted squash soup.
By Renée Bellefeuille, AGO’s Executive Chef
Greetings from my home kitchen. Like many of you, I’m doing my best to stay healthy and stay busy during this challenging time. For me, that means thinking artfully about how to use basic pantry items and hearty, seasonal ingredients. Remember, not all root vegetables need to be stewed! In that spirit, I’m passing along my new recipe for squash soup – it’s a bit time consuming, but time spent in the kitchen is never wasted.
This recipe goes well with roasted tofu, mushrooms or ground pork, and can be made vegan by substituting vegetable broth for chicken broth and a dash of salt in place of fish sauce.
Eat well and be well.
P.S.: Squash is an excellent source of beta carotene and potassium, and a source of Vitamin C and folacin.
Squash Soup
Servings: 4-6
Prep time: 20 min
Cooking time: 65 min
Ingredients:
1 x butternut or buttercup squash, cut in half
2 x medium-sized cooking onions, thinly sliced
1 x large piece of ginger (sliced into 4 even pieces, and the rest finely chopped)
4 x cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 x finger chilies, sliced (optional)
2 x medium-sized carrots, peeled, cut in half and sliced into half-moons
1 x can coconut milk
2 x bay leaf
1 x medium-sized potato, peeled and cut into ½ inch cubes
1 x stalk lemongrass, cut into pieces about three inches long and softened with the back of a knife, tied into a bundle
1 litre low sodium chicken broth
2 Tbsp x neutral cooking oil (canola, grapeseed, avocado)
Splash of fish sauce
Splash of lime juice
Method:
Slice squash in half, and remove seeds. In a small roasting pan, place squash flesh side up. Drizzle with a bit of oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper. Add 2 slices of ginger to each half squash.
Add ¼ cup water to the inside of each squash half and another 1 cup of water to the bottom of the roasting dish.
Cover with parchment paper and foil and bake at 350F for 30-35 min. Squash should be cooked but not soft.
Pull from oven and let cool.
In a large soup pot on medium heat, add neutral cooking oil, followed by onions. Stir often until the onions have softened and browned slightly.
In quick succession, add garlic, ginger and chilies, followed by the carrots. Then add the chicken broth and coconut milk.
Next, add in lemongrass, bay leaf and potato. Bring to a gentle boil, reduce heat to low and simmer until carrot and potato are cooked through.
While soup is cooking, scoop flesh out of squash with a spoon and place on a cutting board. Give the squash a rough chop to help it break down in the soup.
Add squash to soup. Simmer for an additional 10-15 minutes. Adjust seasoning to taste with fish sauce and a splash of lime juice. If a thinner soup is preferred, add more broth.
To Serve:
Ladle soup into bowls. Garnish with cilantro, red onions or tomatoes.
