A Soup Season star with a seafood twist.
Fresh butternut squash shines in this flavorful soup. You can vary the shellfish - sliced lobster, whole shrimp, or crabmeat all work nicely.
Serves 6
Ingredients
- 2 large butternut squash
-
⅓ to ½ cup olive oil
- 2 whole leeks
- 4 stalks celery
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 bay leaves
- 6 cups fish or chicken stock
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1 to 2 teaspoons ground nutmeg
- 1 to 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 8 ounces to 1 pound cooked lobster meat, peeled and cooked shrimp, or lump crabmeat, picked over for shells and cartilage
- Salt
- White pepper
Method
Preheat the oven to 400.
Halve the squash, brush with oil, and place them on a baking sheet. Roast for 20 to 30 minutes, or until cooked through and golden brown. When the squash are cool, peel, seed, and coarsely chop them. Set them aside.
Clean and dice the leeks and celery. Heat the butter in a large nonreactive skillet and add the leeks and celery. Cook the vegetables over medium heat for about 15 minutes, or until they are soft and translucent. Add them to a large nonreactive pot along with the squash and the bay leaves. Cover with the stock and simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes over medium heat. Add more stock or water if needed to keep the vegetables covered. Add the cream, nutmeg, and cinnamon. Remove the bay leaves, and blend the soup in a blender or food processor until pureed. If you're using a food processor, just blend the solids and stir them back into the liquid. Strain, if desired, and top with the seafood. Season with salt and white pepper to taste.
From the "Legal Sea Foods Cookbook" by Roger Berkowitz and Jane Doerfer, illustrated by Edward Koren.