Scrumptious Summer Squash Soup

With the bounty of the summer garden continuing to ripen on the vine you are bound, at some point, to find yourself overwhelmed with too much of something. With this in mind I was at a loss when looking at the last of the summer squash hanging out in my fridge. I'd already fried some, used some with pasta and still had two lovely squash left. But what to do with them. (This is the point where things sometimes go terribly wrong.)

I've seen a number of recipes over the years for squash soup, pumpkin soup carrot soup, they all SOUND great. Unfortunately, I've had a few bad experiences and as a result am a bit gun shy. There was this terribly greasy pumpkin soup, a gazpacho that not even a starving rabbit would eat and other watery concoctions that don't bear mentioning.

So what makes a good soup. You have to start with good ingredients and plenty of flavor. Oh and a little bit o fat. I know it's such a dirty word, but fat adds flavor and improves texture. You don't have to have tons though as this soup will prove.


Scrumptious Summer Squash Soup

Ingredients:

2-3 summer squash cubed
1/2 cup diced bell peppers (any color)
2 lg shallots or very small onions sliced
4 cloves garlic crushed and sliced
16 oz Chicken or Vegetable stock
Olive oil (for drizzling, about 2-3 tbsp )
salt and pepper to taste
ground ginger
ground allspice
ground nutmeg
ground clove

Preparation:

Prepare the squash, peppers, onion and garlic and arrange on a baking sheet. drizzle with olive oil. Season with ginger, allspice, nutmeg, salt and pepper. place sheet in a preheated 350 degree F oven and roast for about 20 minutes or until all vegetables are tender. Carefully transfer roasted vegetables to a blender or food processor. (Be careful when blending hot liquids because they will explode if you seal them in tightly. I open the top of the blender or leave the insert out of the top of the food processor so steam can escape.) Blend vegetables while slowly adding your chosen broth until it reaches the right consistency. Some like it chunky some like it smooth, it's up to you!

Once blended pour into serving dishes and garnish with a slight dusting of ground cloves. Sour cream is a tasty addition and if you'd like more texture you could put some diced peppers on top as well but truly, with no alterations this summer soup stands on it's own.