Curried Summer Squash Soup

By Jeters • June 30, 2010 • 0 Comments

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Author Notes: This twist on a potato soup is a great recipe to serve people who profess to hate summer squash. It's a great way to get in your vegetables for those who are a bit...veggie disinclined, shall we say? Despite having 'curried' in the name, this soup is not spicy, but could benefit from a pinch of hot chili powder or a dash of hot sauce, right at the end. - Jeters - Jeters

Food52 Review: This is a very flavorful soup- I love the potato and zucchini combination and the Indian spices add a wonderful touch. Mine came out pretty thick, so I thinned it with a little additional chicken stock and added some plain yogurt when I blended it up. The soup was a big hit with my whole family. As Jeters mentions, it does benefit from adding a little spice at the end- I embellished my portion with a pinch of ground chipotle, but might also try adding a chile pepper or two with the dried spices next time.

- A&M

Serves 4

3-4 russet potatoes peeled and diced
4 zucchini or summer squash, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 yellow onion, diced
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1/3 teaspoon ground tumeric
1/3 teaspoon garam masala
1/3 teaspoon ground ginger
1/3 teaspoon ground coriander
1/3 teaspoon ground cumin
1/3 teaspoon chili powder (optional)
large pinches dried fenugreek leaves, stems picked out
large pinches dried parsley
3 cups chicken stock
vegetable oil
extra virgin olive oil
apple cider vinegar
salt, pepper, and tabasco to taste
3/4 cups milk

In a heavy skillet, heat oil, bacon fat, butter, schmaltz, whatever tickles your fancy. (I used chicken drippings and extra virgin olive oil)
Add the onions and saute over medium heat until golden, with a pinch of kosher salt and a few grinds of pepper.
A few minutes into the cooking process, add the garlic. stir frequently to assure nothing burns.
In the stockpot, heat two tablespoons of vegetable oil on medium heat.
Once the oil is bubbling, add the spice mix and let them bloom in the hot oil, stirring constantly so that they don’t burn.
After a minute, add the diced potatoes to the spice oil and saute – try to get a nice browning on the potatoes if you can- its okay if some pieces stick to the bottom of the pot.
Once the onions are soft, add them to the potato spice mixture.
Place the zucchini/squash slices in the skillet, stirring them around and scraping up any burned on goodness left by the onions and fat. If you need some extra liquid to accomplish this, a splash of chicken stock will help. Cook two minutes.
Add the squash to the stock pot, stir well, and add enough chicken broth to cover the vegetables.
Scrape the bottom of the stockpot with a spatula to free anything that burned on during the cooking process.
Add the fenugreek leaves and parsley.
Turn heat to medium low. Cover and cook until the potatoes are soft, about 20 minutes.
When the potatoes break apart easily with your spoon, turn the heat to low. You can puree the soup with a hand blender or in a cuisinart (please be careful!) or do what I did and just have at it with a potato masher.
Drizzle in the milk and stir.
Season to taste. Salt and Pepper for sure, plus a splash of cider vinegar and a few shakes of Tabasco to brighten flavors.