My sister-in-law Mindy has mastered a classic butternut squash soup recipe, and often serves it at the gatherings she holds, keeping our family together in the warmest way. I couldn’t even attempt to match her perfection, so that’s why I chose to make a very different version for dinner last night.
Spicy Miso-Butternut Squash Soup
Ingredients
- raw sesame oil (or any vegetable or olive oil)
- large butternut squash, halved lengthwise, seeded (save the seeds for toasting! …another post)
- 1 acorn squash (if you’ve got one crowding your fridge like I did
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 5 garlic cloves, minced
- 1-2″ piece of ginger, peeled and grated or finely chopped
- 2 diced, seeded jalapenos
- 1/4 cup white miso
- 4 cups chicken or veg broth, or water
- 1 tbsp salt
- juice of 1/2 lemon
- Garnish: toasted sesame oil, chili crisp, fresh cilantro, sliced scallion (white and green parts), lemon wedges, toasted seeds.
How:
Brush squashes (squeesh?) with oil, and roast cut-side up at 400 until fork-pierce-able, about 1 hr. (I sliced mine to cook faster, but more annoying to peel.)
Sauté onion, garlic, ginger, jalapeno in oil until onion is translucent. Add ¼ cup white miso, cook, stirring, another minute. Add broth/water and salt. Scoop squash into pot. Simmer 10 minutes to meld flavors. Purée with an immersion blender, or use your food processor or blender. Make sure that blender is sealed tightly–you don’t want hot soup flying about! Add lemon juice, more liquid to reach desired consistency, and more salt if necessary.
Serve: Ladle into bowls. Swirl with toasted sesame oil (or a good quality olive oil) and chili crisp, drag the tip of a knife through to pretty it up. Top with cilantro, scallion, lemon wedges, toasted seeds.
A Spoonful of Flavor
Forgot to add the seeds for the close up! I dropped them in for this tasty bite, already stirred with chili crisp, sesame oil, and all the other garnishes. Spicy!
