Butternut-Lemongrass Soup
Adapted from The Voluptuous Vegan, by Myra Kornfeld and George Minot
(makes 4-6 servings)
Ingredients:
2 1/2 pounds (3 cups cooked) butternut, red kuri, delicata, or other winter squash
1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 large shallot or small onion, cut into small dice (1/4 cup)
1 cup cleaned and chopped leeks (mostly white part)
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 Tbsp. chopped lemongrass*
1 small sweet potato, peeled and cut into chunks
1 14-ounce can coconut milk
4 cups Southeast Asian Stock (see recipe below, or use store-bought)
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 red bell pepper, or 3 Jimmy Nardello peppers
Freshly ground black pepper
2 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
1/4 cup basil chiffonade
*The bottom 1/3 (the thicker part) of the lemongrass is the part that you use. Make a long slit in the stalk and peel off the tough outer layer, finely chop the inner layers. The rest of the lemongrass is good for stock.
1. Preheat the oven to 400 deg. F. Cut the squash in half, scoop out the seeds, and bake it, cut side down, about 30-45 min. or until tender when pierced with a fork.
2. Heat oil in a medium saucepan and saute the shallots and leeks over medium-low heat for about 5 minutes, or until the leeks are soften but not browned. Add the garlic and lemongrass and saute an additional few minutes.
3. Add the squash (skin and all if using red kuri or delicata), sweet potato, coconut milk, and stock and cover. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, add the salt, and simmer about 15 minutes, partially covered, until the sweet potato is soft.
4. Meanwhile, roast the red pepper over an open flame or in the oven until skin is blistered and charred. Place in a paper or plastic bag to sweat for about 20 minutes. Discard the skin, stem, and seeds from the pepper and chop into 1/4-inch squares.
5. Puree the soup in a blender or with an immersion blender. Add black pepper to taste and the lime juice. Adjust salt to taste.
6. Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with the red pepper squares and basil chiffonade.
Southeast Asian Stock
(makes 6 cups)
Ingredients:
1 onion, peeled and roughly chopped
2 leeks, sliced, cleaned, and roughly chopped, greens included
1 celery stalk, roughly cut
3 carrots, roughly cut
1 small sweet potato, peeled and roughly cut
1 2-inch piece of ginger, sliced into 3 pieces
3 garlic gloves, unpeeled and halved
1 lemongrass stalk, cut in a couple of pieces and bruised
1 shallot or small onion, peeled and diced
1 Tbsp shoyu
1 1-inch strip of lime zest
8 cups water
Combine all the ingredients in a large pot. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer, uncovered, for 45 minutes, until the stock has developed its flavor. Strain the stock, pushing the solids against the strainer to extract as much liquid as possible. Cool the stock. Refrigerate for up to three days, or freeze for up to four months.
(makes 4-6 servings)
Ingredients:
2 1/2 pounds (3 cups cooked) butternut, red kuri, delicata, or other winter squash
1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 large shallot or small onion, cut into small dice (1/4 cup)
1 cup cleaned and chopped leeks (mostly white part)
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 Tbsp. chopped lemongrass*
1 small sweet potato, peeled and cut into chunks
1 14-ounce can coconut milk
4 cups Southeast Asian Stock (see recipe below, or use store-bought)
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 red bell pepper, or 3 Jimmy Nardello peppers
Freshly ground black pepper
2 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
1/4 cup basil chiffonade
*The bottom 1/3 (the thicker part) of the lemongrass is the part that you use. Make a long slit in the stalk and peel off the tough outer layer, finely chop the inner layers. The rest of the lemongrass is good for stock.
1. Preheat the oven to 400 deg. F. Cut the squash in half, scoop out the seeds, and bake it, cut side down, about 30-45 min. or until tender when pierced with a fork.
2. Heat oil in a medium saucepan and saute the shallots and leeks over medium-low heat for about 5 minutes, or until the leeks are soften but not browned. Add the garlic and lemongrass and saute an additional few minutes.
3. Add the squash (skin and all if using red kuri or delicata), sweet potato, coconut milk, and stock and cover. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, add the salt, and simmer about 15 minutes, partially covered, until the sweet potato is soft.
4. Meanwhile, roast the red pepper over an open flame or in the oven until skin is blistered and charred. Place in a paper or plastic bag to sweat for about 20 minutes. Discard the skin, stem, and seeds from the pepper and chop into 1/4-inch squares.
5. Puree the soup in a blender or with an immersion blender. Add black pepper to taste and the lime juice. Adjust salt to taste.
6. Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with the red pepper squares and basil chiffonade.
Southeast Asian Stock
(makes 6 cups)
Ingredients:
1 onion, peeled and roughly chopped
2 leeks, sliced, cleaned, and roughly chopped, greens included
1 celery stalk, roughly cut
3 carrots, roughly cut
1 small sweet potato, peeled and roughly cut
1 2-inch piece of ginger, sliced into 3 pieces
3 garlic gloves, unpeeled and halved
1 lemongrass stalk, cut in a couple of pieces and bruised
1 shallot or small onion, peeled and diced
1 Tbsp shoyu
1 1-inch strip of lime zest
8 cups water
Combine all the ingredients in a large pot. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer, uncovered, for 45 minutes, until the stock has developed its flavor. Strain the stock, pushing the solids against the strainer to extract as much liquid as possible. Cool the stock. Refrigerate for up to three days, or freeze for up to four months.
