I don't know where Janet found this, but it was absolutely delicious. She made it for the October 1999 Dinner Club - the theme was "Pulp Fiction".
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
| A. | butternut squash | 4 pounds | about 2 |
With a sharp knife, prick the squash in several places to allow steam to escape while cooking. Place whole squash in a baking dish lined with foil and roast for about 90 minutes, until the squash is soft when you push on it. Let cool for 30 minutes, so it's easier to handle, then peel, seed and remove strings. Cut the roasted squash into 1/2-inch pieces, or scoop meat out with a spoon. |
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| B. | extra virgin olive oil | 1 tablespoon | |
| yellow onion | 1 cup | diced | |
In a heavy soup kettle, heat the olive oil and add the onions. Cook until light golden brown. |
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| C. | leeks | 1 cup | chopped |
| cumin, ground | 1/2 teaspoon | ||
Add the leeks and cumin. Cook for 2 minutes. |
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| D. | garlic | 2 tablespoon | chopped |
| ginger | 1 tablespoon | chopped | |
| pure maple syrup | 2 tablespoons | ||
| soy sauce | 2 tablespoons | ||
| Maker's Mark bourbon | 1/4 cup | ||
| dry sherry | 1/2 cup | ||
| nutmeg | 1/4 teaspoon | grated | |
Add the garlic and ginger. When the garlic is fragrant (about 30 seconds), add the maple syrup, soy sauce, bourbon, sherry, and nutmeg. |
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| E. | squash from above | ||
| chicken stock | 5 cups | ||
Add the squash and stock and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and cook gently for 15 minutes. |
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| F. | evaporated skim milk | 3/4 cup | |
| salt | 1 teaspoon | ||
| black pepper, ground | 1/2 teaspoon | ||
| parmesan cheese croutons | |||
| cornstarch | 2 tablespoons | Dissolved in 2 tablespoons water | |
| sour cream | 1/4 cup | ||
Using an immersion blender, puree the soup until very smooth. Add the cornstarch mixture. It should be hot enough for the cornstarch to thicken the soup a bit. Serve in wide soup plates. Garnish with garlic and parmesan cheese croutons and a dollop of nonfat sour cream. Serves 6 to 8. |
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