The other week some kind guests brought us a
present: a large squash from their allotment. This turned out to be a Boston
marrow winter squash, which resembles a pumpkin in texture and colour but is
more lemon- or gourd-shaped. It can be used in all the same ways as a pumpkin
(e.g. baked, included in casseroles, and to make pies, purées and soup). If
you’ve stayed with us at Exmoor House, you’ll know that we love good food and
enjoy trying different ingredients and flavour combinations.
In autumnal mood because it was a lovely autumn
day, I just fancied some soup. On the web I found many recipes for squash soup,
some of them quite fancy. I decided that mine would be simple and basic, so
that the squash could speak for itself – it adds a lovely velvety texture and
has a sweet, mellow taste. The soup could then be jazzed up if required. Here’s
what I did… by the way, I deliberately haven’t mentioned any quantities here,
because it will depend on how much squash you’re using. You might need a very large
pan, though.
Cut the squash into chunks and peel it. Fry the
chunks in olive oil with some chopped onions. Add vegetable stock (or chicken
stock if you prefer) plus some fresh herbs (I tied mine in a piece of muslin to make
a bouquet garni, bruising the herbs so that the flavour went into the soup) and
garlic. I also added pepper, but not salt. Bring the pan to the boil and simmer
until the squash and onions are soft. Liquidise the mixture (removing the
bouquet garni first, which I nearly forgot to do!).
We ate the soup with a dusting of smoked paprika
as a garnish. You could also use other spices such as cumin, or perhaps small
pieces of crispy bacon, fried sage leaves, crème fraîche, cream, most cheeses…
I’m sure there are many more possibilities, so do let me know if you discover
one that is particularly fabulous.
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