Acorn Squash Soup
1 acorn squash, about the size of a large softball, unpeeled, scrubbed on
outside and cut into fourths
1/2 cup dried white beans, soaked overnight
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 cup onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 vegetable bouillon/broth cubes
fresh ground pepper to taste
parsley sprigs and carrot curls for garnish
3 cups water
Rinse beans and put in large pot with 3 cups water. Add celery, onion, garlic
and bouillon, bring to boil and then turn down to low: cover pot. Fill another
large pot with water and bring to a boil. Put the acorn squash in the boiling
water and boil for about 10 to 15 minutes or until a fork poked into the inside
feels like poking a well done baked potato. Remove the squash and sit aside to
cool. Once the squash is cool enough to handle, scoop out the insides, remove
seeds and puree in a blender or food processor. After the squash is pureed, add
it to the bean mixture. Finish cooking soup so that an hour has passed from when
the beans started cooking. If the soup is too watery for your taste, cook
without the lid on for a while, or puree about a third of the batch; beans,
onions, celery, garlic and all and then add the pureed ingredients back to the
original batch. Season to taste with pepper. Garnish with a sprig of parsley and
a carrot curl. |