Hubbard Squash

Roasted Hubbard Squash Soup

Can you take just one more squash soup recipe?  Honestly I thought I was done with soup for awhile, and maybe it had something to do with the gloomy, rainy day outside, but when I looked at the great big Hubbard Squash staring at me from my kitchen counter and started researching its flavor, well, soup was the natural thing.  Hubbard squash it turns out has a "remarkably sweet with a clear pumpkin flavor" to it (about.com) and well, I could have incorporated it into a coffee cake but that just would have hidden its flavor.  I felt that "remarkably sweet" called for a soup with a spicy twist.  I think you will find that this soup has a heartier flavor than my previous squash soup (Red Kuri Squash Soup).  I adapted my own simpler version of this Hubbard Squash soup from one I found on finecooking.com, but they did have a great method for preparing the squash here: how to cut and roast squash that you might want to check out.

Roasted Hubbard Squash Soup with Cashews & Chives
1 Clarion River Organics Hubbard Squash, halved, seeds removed
1 large Clarion River Organics clove garlic, minced
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp dried sage
1 medium onion, chopped
2 medium carrots, peeled and cut into small dice
Sea salt
4 cups vegetable broth
1 bay leaf
Juice of 1/2 a lemon
1/4 cup raw cashews, chopped and toasted
2 tsp thinly sliced chives
4 dashes cayenne pepper
Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 400ºF. Line a heavy-duty rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.

Combine garlic, coriander, and sage and rub this spice mixture on the flesh of the squash halves.  Set them cut side down on the prepared pan and roast until tender when pierced with a fork, about 30 minutes.  Let cool, cut side up.  

Spray a soup pot with cooking spray and set over medium heat.  Add the onion, carrots, a big pinch of salt and 1/4 cup water.  Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is softened, 8 to 10 minutes.  When cool enough to handle, scrape the flesh away from the rind of the squash right into the soup pot.  Scrape the drippings from the squash pan into the soup (all the juices from the squash as well as the garlic mixture should be on the parchment and can be easily scraped off with a knife).  Add the broth and bay leaf and bring to a boil over high heat.  Reduce the heat to low, simmer and cover, and cook for 30 minutes to develop the soup’s flavor.

Remove the bay leaf and allow the soup to cool slightly. Purée the soup in a blender. Return the soup to the pot and add the lemon juice.  Season to taste with salt and pepper. Ladle into bowls and garnish with the cashews, chives, and a dash of cayenne in each bowl.  Serves 4.