Butternut Squash Soup: Perfect for Fall

Paula Costa was born and raised in Kitchener to a Portuguese family where food was an integral part of family life.  Learning to cook was a natural result of having parents who enjoyed cooking, entertaining and celebrating with family and friends.

An enthusiastic baker of everything from homemade bread to delicate French cookies, Paula encourages others to be fearless in the kitchen and try new things.  In fact, she is so passionate about sharing her love of cooking with others that she created a food blog, www.thedragonskitchen.com to share her recipes and kitchen innovations.

Dinner parties are another passion Paula indulges in with such memorable themes as 7 Deadly Sins and The Last Dinner On The Titanic.

As our first installment from The Dragon’s Kitchen, here is a perfect fall soup that Paula calls “one of my–and my family’s–absolute favourites. Enjoy!”

Butternut Squash Soup with Ginger and Star Anise
Serves: 8

Ingredients:
3 red bell peppers
1 whole garlic bulb
olive oil

2/3 cup chopped shallot
I inch peeled fresh ginger cut into 3 pieces
1 garlic clove, thinly sliced
3 whole star anise
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 3/4 lb butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1/2-inch pieces (5 cups)
4 cups chicken stock or broth
2 cups water
1/4 teaspoon salt
¼ cup of cream

Method:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2. Cut the top of the garlic bulb, drizzle the top with olive oil and a sprinkle of salt. Wrap garlic in some tin foil and roast in the oven for about 30-40 minutes until fragrant and tender. When the garlic has cooled, squeeze out the garlic cloves and set aside.

3. Increase temperature of oven to 500 degrees or broil.

4. On a cookie sheet, place peppers and drizzle each one with olive oil. Make sure each pepper is well coated in olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Char the peppers in the oven, turning them until the skin is completely charred. Place peppers in a glass bowl and cover with plastic wrap. The steam will loosen the skins. When the peppers are cool, scrape the skins off with a knife and set aside.

5. Cook shallot, garlic, ginger, and anise in butter in a heavy saucepan over moderate heat, stirring, until shallot is softened, about 5 minutes. Add squash, stock, and water and simmer, uncovered, until squash is very tender, about 20 minutes. Remove star anise and ginger.

6. Add roasted garlic and red peppers, cook for 5 minutes.

7. Purée soup in 2 batches in a blender (hot liquid, be careful!) until very smooth, about 1 minute per batch, then transfer to cleaned pan and keep warm, covered.

8. Bring soup to a simmer and season with salt and pepper to taste. Add cream and stir until blended.

9. Serve with a drizzle of cream for garnish.