This flavor-packed puree isn’t just good for you: It’s based on a recipe from the Algonquin Hotel in New York City, where writers of the 1920s hung out at their famed round table, trading quips. When you make the soup a little thicker, it doubles as a gourmet first food for babies — and a healthy lunch for you and yours.
Algonquin Squash Soup
Ingredients-
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 1 pear or apple, peeled, cored and chopped
- 1 stalk celery, diced
- 8 cups chicken or vegetable broth
- 3 cups butternut squash, cubed
- 1 russet potato, cut in pieces
- 1 head cauliflower, roughly cut into florets
- 2 teaspoons (or more) sweet curry powder
- Sour cream and parsley for garnish (optional)
Directions-
Sauté onion, celery and chopped pear/apple in the olive oil over medium heat for 4 minutes.
Add curry powder and stir for 1 minute.
Pour in 6 cups broth and bring to a boil.
Add squash, potato and cauliflower.
Bring back to boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 20 minutes or until the vegetables are soft.
Puree while hot with a hand-held immersion blender (preferred) or cool slightly and puree in batches in a blender.
Reheat. Thin if desired with more broth, up to 2 cups.
Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Garnish with sour cream and parsley.
NOTES
- You can buy bags of cut butternut squash at Trader Joe’s in the fresh produce section.
- You can roast both the squash and the cauliflower in the oven at 400 degrees until soft for a slightly sweeter flavor, but that’s not required.
- Don’t be afraid to be liberal with the curry powder. If you want more spice, you can also add cayenne.
- Experiment with other winter squash. This soup is a rich pumpkin color; other squashes may result in different hues.
- This recipe doubles easily if you have a big enough soup pot.
Sarah Jackson is the former editor of Minnesota Parent. Her former newspaper boss, the late, great food and features editor Melanie Munk, gave her the recipe.
