Kuri Squash Soup with Kale Pesto

February can bring all kinds of weather to us on the northern shores. constant rain, of course; frosty mornings; occasional snow, but also some sunny days to remind us that spring is just around the corner, no matter what slush you see in your area.

Recently, with the sun shining and temperatures reaching 55 degrees, I had the idea to use leftover winter squash that had been sitting on the kitchen counter over the winter for a culinary sensation. generosity in my heart.

The pumpkin I used here was a combination of a red hen and a Cinderella pumpkin, which is a French variety, but you can use any orange winter squash you have on hand. Mine was quite small so I used three. I encourage you to use local and organic produce if you can.

Do you have pesto ? Spooning into each serving makes for a great, healthy visual presentation.

Chicken and Zucchini Soup with Cabbage Pesto
Christina's original recipe.
to print
Makes 6 to 8 generous servings
Composition:
5 pounds peeled dark orange squash, cut into 2-inch pieces
1 large yellow onion, peeled and coarsely chopped
4-6 small cloves of garlic, peeled and coarsely chopped
1.5 inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped
1 ripe Bosc pear pitted and finely chopped
1/2 cup dry white wine, such as Sauvignon Blanc (you can substitute lemon juice)
1 1/2 to 2 quarts homemade or low-sodium chicken broth
1 teaspoon of porcini mushroom powder
1 tablespoon Italian herb mix
olive oil for frying (butter optional)
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Preparation.
Assemble and prepare ingredients as above.
In a large pot, add about 1 tablespoon of olive oil or unsalted butter, or a combination.
When the oil is hot, reduce the heat to medium and add the chopped onion, garlic, ginger and pear.
Mix well and adjust the fire so that it does not burn; cover and sweat about 5 minutes or until the onions are very soft but not caramelized.
Pour in the white wine, scraping the bottom of the pot to loosen any clumps, then add the stock, zucchini, porcini powder and Italian herb mix.
Bring mixture to almost a boil, stir, reduce heat to simmer, cover and cook until squash is very tender and falls apart when pierced with a fork.
Remove the soup from the heat and let it cool for about 5 minutes, then blend with a hand blender until very, very smooth.
If desired, season with salt and pepper. Mix well.
Serve with a dollop of kale pesto and enjoy.

The Italian herb blend I use in the winter is made by Frontier. It's organic and available at most health food stores and co-ops, as well as in my Amazon store .

I use a dried porcini mushroom powder made by Hasta be Pasta, a local Arcata company, and I just discovered it was available on Amazon, so I put it in my Amazon store .
Bosc Pear. It had been on the counter too long and had become too soft to eat unattended. And even if the chickens enjoyed it, it was a nice addition to this soup. Pancake. Pumpkin is a fruit. A pear is a fruit. It worked. The end of the story.

Copyright © 2005-2012 by Christine Cooks. All rights reserved

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