I was intrigued by a recipe I recently received from idealbite.com for Organic Butterstick Squash Soup. What in the world is a Butterstick Squash I thought??? Well, it turns out it is a summer squash also known by cucurbita pepo. And did you know that, botanically speaking, squash is a fruit? Who knew??? Anyway, the recipe looks delicious and if you cannot find Butterstick Squash, regular old yellow squash will do. Oh, and as an added bonus, the hazelnuts contain omega-3s and the cranberries are high in antioxidants. Enjoy!
Be sure to check out the Ideal Bite website for more eco-friendly tidbits!
Organic Butterstick Squash Soup
(serves 4-6)
Ingredients (local or organic whenever possible):
1 yellow Butterstick squash (or 5 yellow squash)
2 Tbls. butter
1 Tbls. salt
1/2 tsp. white pepper
2 tsp. lemon juice
12 cups of vegetable stock (canned is fine)
pumpkin seed oil
hazelnuts
fresh cranberries
Peel squash, reserving skin. Dice the squash and saute' over high heat with butter, stirring constantly. Cook for approximately a minute and a half to dry out the squash, but don't let it caramelize. Add salt and pepper, add 4 cups water and cook for 10 minutes. Blanch the skins in boiling water for 45 seconds. Puree the cooked squash and skins together in a blender with the lemon juice. In a separate saucepan, bring the vegetable stock to a boil. Pour stock into blender with mixture, and puree to soup consistency. Pour entire mixture back into pot and bring to a boil. Serve in bowls drizzled with pumpkin seed oil and garnished with hazelnuts and fresh cranberries.