Curried Squash, Mushroom, and Orange Soup
2 medium-sized acorn or
butternut squash (about 4 pounds)
A little oil for the baking tray.
3 1/2 cups orange juice
2 tablespoons butter or oil
1 cup minced onion
2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
2 teaspoons dry mustard
1 tablespoons minced garlic
1/2 pound mushrooms, sliced
Cayenne to taste
Fresh lemon juice to taste
Yogurt for the top
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Split the squash in half
lengthwise, remove the seeds, and place face-down on a lightly
oiled baking tray. Bake until very soft (30 to 40 minutes). Cool,
then scoop out the insides. Measure out 3 cups of squash, place it
in a food processor or blender with 1 1/2 cups of the orange juice,
and purée until smooth. (You may need to do this in batches.)
Transfer to a soup pot, and stir in the remaining orange
juice.
- Melt the butter or heat the oil in a skillet, and add the
onion, ginger, salt, and spices. Sauté over medium heat until
the onion is very soft (about 8 minutes). Add a few tablespoons of
water, if necessary to prevent the spices from sticking.
- Add the garlic and mushrooms, cover, and cook about 10 minutes
over medium heat, stirring occasionally.
- Add the sauté to the squash mixture, scraping the skillet
well to salvage all the little tidbits of flavor. Add cayenne and
lemon juice to taste.
- Serve hot, topped with a little yogurt.