Of course, this was in addition to the monster organic onions and heirloom garlic I had just bought. The onions were massive, but beautiful. There was no way I could pass them up.
And the garlic, well, it was the spiciest variety available. I like my garlic strong. The cloves from this particular variety were about 4-5x larger than from the kind of garlic you’d get at the store.
What better way to use these monster veggies on a chilly day (yes, the temperature dropped 20 degrees at my place) than to combine them with the monster heirloom brandywine tomato from my garden that ripened this week. Straight off the vine and into the pot.
And, oh how lovely it was to see and taste. If you’ve never had one, I strongly encourage you to find one. The smoky, rich, dense flesh of a brandywine makes for amazing sandwiches (on GF bread) when topped off with a little basil pesto and S&P. Or simply slice the tomato and drizzle it with a little balsamic vinegar & olive. Mmmmmm.
Preparing the soup is really straightforward. You will need to roast the squash in the oven for an hour or so, but the rest is simple: Saute onions and garlic, puree with squash, add spices, broth and tomatoes. Done!
The result is a large pot of soup, perfect for a family get-together or a Sunday-night football potluck. Serve it up with some hot cornbread, and anything else that strikes your fancy.
| Monster Soup (AKA Hubbard Squash Soup) Recipe |
Print
|
- 1 monster Hubbard squash (~7 pounds)
- 1 monster onion (~2 large onions), chopped
- 1 monster clove of garlic (~5 small cloves), minced
- 1 monster beefsteak-type tomato (~2 large tomatoes), chopped
- 1 cup gluten-free chicken or vegetable broth
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 1/2 tsp maple syrup
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 pinch rubbed sage
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Olive oil for sauteeing onions
- Roast Squash
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- Using a sharp chef’s knife, cut the Hubbard squash in half, lengthwise. Use a spoon to scoop out the seeds and pulp from each half. Cut each half into 5 or 6 pieces.
- Place pieces in a Pyrex/glass baking pan, cut side up. Add about a 1/4 inch of water to the bottom of the baking pan so that the skins don’t burn and the squash doesn’t get dried out. Sprinkle the inside of each piece with salt and pepper, and perhaps a little chile powder.
- Cover the squash with aluminum foil and bake in the oven for 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes, until the squash is very soft. Do not under cook. When finished, remove from oven and let cool while you prepare the rest of the soup.
- The Soup
- Pre-heat soup pot to medium high. When ready, add a tablespoon of olive oil to pot and coat bottom evenly. Reduce heat to medium, add onions and sautee for 2-3 minutes. Add garlic and sautee for another 2-3 minutes.
- Scoop squash from skin and place in soup pot with onions and garlic. Repeat for all pieces.
- Stir squash, onion, and garlic together. Place in blender and puree. You may need to do this in 2 batches.
- Pour puree back into soup pot, add chopped tomatoes, broth, maple syrup, and spices. Simmer for about 10 minutes, season with salt and pepper to taste, and serve.
You can use other winter squash, like butternut or acorn, if you prefer. Just make sure to use about 7 pounds’ worth. Hubbard squash seems to have a higher water content than these other types, so you may need additional broth to thin the soup out.
About Stormy Sweitzer - Maoomba-in-chief