Moroccan Butternut Squash Soup

Every autumn I impulse-buy a couple of squashes. I can’t stand it, they make me giggle. Gourds are the most Muppety of all vegetables. They just delight me, and so I absently put them in the cart. Once home, what to do with several pounds of earthen tubers? Squash them, of course. Halloween is the perfect occasion to do so–you can squash your squash right after you smash pumpkins. 

Moroccan Butternut Squash Soup

Adapted from Cooking with Curls

1 large yellow onion (chopped)

Kosher salt

1 1/2 Tablespoons olive oil

2 pounds butternut squash (peeled, seeded, chopped into 1 1/2-inch chunks)

2 Tablespoons ketchup

1 teaspoon Spice Mixture

4 cups hot water

1/2 cup heavy cream or full fat coconut milk (I used both)

1/4 pound cheese

1 teaspoon garlic and chili paste

sea salt & fresh ground pepper (to taste)

Spice Mixture  (I will be looking for other recipes to sprinkle this into—tasty and exotic blend)

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1 teaspoon ground turmeric

1 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon cubeb pepper (I used chili powder)

1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Mix spices together, and store in a sealed jar in a cool, dark place.

In a large Dutch oven, toss together onion, kosher salt, and olive oil. Cover and steam over medium-low heat until the onion is soft, about 10 minutes. Add the squash, cover and steam for 20 minutes.           

Add the ketchup, spices, and water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until the squash is tender, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat and puree until smooth. This will look like baby food. Mentally prepare to deny this very question from coworkers. “No, I’m not eating a jar of baby food—I made squash soup for myself.” And then the second annoying question, “When do you have time to cook?” Since I’m on psychiatry right now, I’ve become probably annoyingly redirective with most of my responses, “Tell me more about what you think it means to ‘have’ and ‘spend’ time.” Or, “Tell me, what do you see when you look at a squash?”

Add the cream, three-quarters of the crumbled cheese, and the garlic paste.  Puree until velvety smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Ladle soup into bowls and sprinkle with remaining cheese.               

Dress up your bulldog like an Angel, tell her she is beautiful and have her smile like a cherub. 

Put your hair in 40s fingerwaves and tell yourself you are a white Billie Holiday while doing your rounds in the psych hospital.

  Halloween is a wonderful day to take your delusions out for a spin. I know I will.