Winter Squash Soup
Ingredients:
1 teaspoon butter or margarine
1 medium onion, chopped
4 pounds butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cubed
4 cups chicken broth
2 cups 1% milk
1 handful mint sprigs or rosemary
1 cinnamon stick
6 whole cloves
1/4 teaspoons whole peppercorns
1/4 teaspoons whole coriander seeds
1/4 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes
Salt to taste
Sour cream & mint or rosemary sprigs for garnish
Directions:
- Melt the butter in a large saucepan. Add the onion and cook slowly over low heat until tender but not brown. (Keeping pot covered will cause the onion to "sweat", creating moisture and cooking without burning).
- Add squash and broth, and then heat the mixture to boiling over high heat. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer 20 minutes or until squash is tender.
- Meanwhile, in a saucepan, heat the milk, with mint or basil, cloves, peppercorns, coriander and pepper flakes, to boiling. Remove from heat and set aside.
- When squash is fork-tender, puree it in a blender or food processor until smooth. Return to heat. Pour the infused milk through a fine strainer into the pureed squash. Taste and adjust salt as needed. Heat through. Serve with a garnish of mint sprigs and a dollop of sour cream.