Squash Soup!

So what do we make in the summer with those squash that get a little too large?  

We make squash soup!  It is one of my families favorite ways to eat squash.  Just a note....I have never tried to make this recipe with zucchini.  Although I am sure it would be just as delicious, I don't think I could easily get my children to eat green soup!!!

One of the things you need to make this if it is going to be really smooth and creamy is a really powerful blender.  We have a Vita Mix.  The other thing you want to really keep in mind is to be careful.  Very careful, when you blend it.  Blending hot foods needs great care.  Blend small batches and I put a hand towel over the blender and vent the top as I blend it..  You might want to let it cool down some before blending it just to be on the safe side.  So that is my warning when making this.  :)

Ingredients:

Squash – enough washed and cut up to fill the pot you are cooking them in.

Tomatoes (One cup fresh peeled and crushed) or one large can of diced tomatoes

Garlic – two large cloves – peeled and chopped up (I used elephant garlic today)

Sweet onion (s) (I am using 3 small Vidalias today) – peeled, sliced and cut up

Milk 1 cup -  (or a cup of creamed cashews if making it casin free)

Salt to taste

Pepper to taste

Bay leaf 2 of them

Olive oil a few tablespoons

water

Take a large cooking pot and pour several tablespoons olive oil in it and set it to medium heat.   

Add the onion (s) and cook them down till just starting to brown a bit.

Add the garlic and lightly cook it.  

Then add the can of diced tomato or ones from your garden that have been washed peeled and crushed.   

Then fill the pot till almost full of cut up squash.  Add enough water to just cover the squash.   

Add the bay leaves and let cook till squash is soft not mush.   :)   You will have to stir it around a bit so the top ones get under the water and soften a bit.

Remove bay leaves.

Now this is the part where you have to be very very careful.  Take small batches of squash, onion, garlic and liquid and liquefy them.  

As you do this, in small batches, pour them into a very large mixing bowl.

Once it is all blended you can add either a cup of milk OR

 If making it casin free……take a cup of cashews and use enough water in the blender to make it into a cream and add it to the mixing bowl of soup. 

  

Then salt and pepper to taste.  

This is the exact same recipe for my Cream of Tomato Soup, when I have to many tomatoes coming ripe in from the garden all at one time.  Just use all tomatoes instead of the squash! 

Hope you have an abundance of produce to eat and find uses for this gardening season!

Blessings and happy farming!

susan