a vegan thanksgiving day 4 - roasted kabocha squash soup w/ crispy fried leeks

a friend of mine had been reading alicia silverstone's new book and told me that her favorite squash was the kabocha.  she was curious what it tasted like and suggested i make something with it.

naturally soup seemed like a good, quick option.

this version is so rich and creamy, and topped with crispy fried leeks and the toasted seeds makes for a wonderful starter or side for the holidays.

raosted kobacha squash soup w/ crispy fried leeks

 

serves 6-8

1 medium to large kabocha squash

2 cloves garlic – chopped

½ yellow onion – chopped

2 celery ribs – chopped

1 carrot – chopped

4 cups broth

½ cup dry sherry

1 cup cashew cream sauce

1 leek – sliced

seeds from the squash

1 tsp curry powder

1 tsp turmeric

olive oil

½ cup canola oil

salt and pepper

hot water (in case you need to thin out your soup a bit)

 

heat your oven to 400 degrees.

peel your squash and seed and cut into 1-inch pieces.  toss with olive oil, salt and pepper and the garlic, and roast for 40-50 minutes, or until soft.

 

in the meantime, in a medium pot, add 1 tbsp olive oil and your onions.  cook until transparent.  add your dry sherry and reduce for 5 minutes.  You can now add you carrot and celery.  cook until slightly al dente.  add the broth and continue to cook on medium to low.

 

in a small saucepan, bring the canola oil to a higher heat and add your leeks.  Let them fry, stirring constantly until they brown just slightly.  remove and drain.

 

once the squash is finished, add it to your broth.  add your curry and turmeric.

toss your seeds in a little olive oil and throw them into the oven for 20 minutes, or until browned.

 

remove the soup from heat and with an immersion blender, blend until silky smooth.  put back onto a low heat and add your cashew cream sauce.  if you should need to,  add hot water or broth to thin the soup should it be too thick.

 

add salt and pepper to taste.

garnish with the leeks and seeds.

serve with a crisp white wine.

enjoy!

Comments

[Andrew]

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