Serves 6 to 8
Use whatever hard-skinned squash that you can find, like butternut, pumpkin, calabaza. For a vegan version, use olive oil instead of butter, omit the milk and whipped cream garnish. Add 1 cup of raw cashews in Step 2, which will make the blended soup creamy.
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons butter
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 1/4 cups chopped leek
- 1/2 cup diced celery
- 2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger
- 5 cups vegetable broth
- 3 cups diced hard-skinned squash
- 1 cup sliced sweet potato
- 1 small piece cinnamon stick
- 1/4 tsp grated nutmeg, or to taste
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 1/2 cup evaporated skim milk
- 2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lime juice
- 1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
- 1/2 cup heavy cream, chilled
- Minced chives, for garnish
Directions
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Heat the butter in a soup pot over medium heat. Add the garlic, leek, celery, and half of the ginger. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the leek and celery are softened, 8 to 10 minutes.
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Add the broth, pumpkin, sweet potato, cinnamon stick, and nutmeg. Bring to a simmer and cook until the pumpkin is very tender, about 30 minutes.
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Remove and discard the cinnamon stick. Purée the soup until quite smooth. Strain through a fine sieve for an exceptionally smooth texture, if you wish.
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Return the soup to medium heat. Add the wine, milk, lime juice, and the salt to taste. Stir to combine well and reheat the soup to just below a simmer.
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Whip the chilled heavy cream to medium peaks and fold in the remaining ginger. Serve the soup in heated bowls, garnished with a dollop of ginger-flavored cream and chives.
