I prepared this recipe four days ago, still have a little left, and I'm here to tell ya, it gets better every day! (Probably not a good idea to eat food more than four days old, however). I realize that the traditional southwestern flavor combination of cumin, chili, garlic and oregano are some of my favorites and I tend to migrate to them in many of my savory dishes. So, my next Great Squash Challenge will be to create a recipe using a completely different flavor palette. Until then, this soup is a winner combining the sweetness of the butternut, the smokey cumin and chili, with the touch of cream cheese melted in at the end, adding a creamy richness without adding a lot of fat or calories to the overall dish.
I use a whole, white onion in this soup, another habit of many cooks. In fact it's difficult for those who can't eat onions to find dishes that don't contain some sort of onion, whether it be red, yellow, white or scallions. Onions add a layer of flavor that I would miss, but all dishes can certainly be prepared without it. Except, of course, French Onion Soup or onion pie.
Do I have an onion? The first question I ask myself when planning most savory dishes. White, yellow, red, what's the difference? Red onions are great for raw dishes, on salads, sliced on burgers, because they turn a funny grayish color when cooked, so not my first choice for cooking. Yellow onions have a deeper flavor with a slight aftertaste that works well in most cooking. But traditionally, white onion is used in southwestern cooking because it has a cleaner more crisp flavor that marries will with the flavors of the southwest.
Other than a Hallmark commercial or a movie where the beloved dog disappears but miraculously find its way home again, cutting onions is the most sure-fire way to make me cry. Cutting through onion fibers releases a sulfur compound gas that mixes with the water in tears to form sulferic acid. Eyes respond by producing more tears to wash it away, thereby the onion tears we all know and really don't love. A good way to cut down on onion tears is to refrigerate onions for at least 30 minutes before cutting, and not cutting through the root end, where most of the tear producing compounds are found.
The good news about onions is that in addition to adding a lot of flavor to foods, they contain Quercetin, an important anti-oxidant that helps cut down on cell destruction in the body, Vitamin C, fiber and folic acid. The naturally occurring sugar in the onion and squash in this recipe will caramelize during roasting, adding flavor that steaming or sauteing just can't produce. Worth the extra step!
You will need one large butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1" chunks. Easiest way to peel a squash is using a potato or carrot peeler. It gets around the curves easier than a knife. After peeling, cut the seed end off of the solid end and place on a flat surface to cut. Scoop out and discard the seeds and strings. Cut the squash into 1" chunks to prepare to roast with the onions to yield 4- 5 cups of squash chunks.
Reader feedback: Denise in Portland suggests tossing the squash seeds out in the yard for the squirrels and birds. In her yard, they have their own little Thanksgiving feast!
Mexican Roasted Butternut Squash Soup
Preheat oven to 400 degrees
5 cups cubed butternut squash
1 large white onion, rough chopped to make about 2 cups
1 T. olive oil
salt and pepper
Toss above ingredients together and spread on baking sheet. Roast uncovered for about 15 minutes until edges of squash and onions turn brown and caramelize but not burned. Like TV chef Ann Burrell says, "Brown food tastes good!"
Remove squash and onion from oven and put in large dutch oven on top of the stove.
STEP 2:
Add the following ingredients to pot and simmer over medium heat for 15 to 20 minutes until vegetables are cooked through.
3 cups low sodium chicken stock
3/4 tsp. ground cumin (or more to taste)
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1/4 tsp. garlic powder (I prefer to use garlic powder in creamy soups rather than fresh garlic because the flavor is more subtle and no one likes a creamy soup with a piece of garlic.)
1/2 tsp. chili powder (or more to taste)
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
dash or more of hot sauce or a pinch of cayenne pepper. I used both because I like hot food.
salt and pepper to taste
When the vegetables are tender, remove from heat. Be careful in this next step because it will be very hot.
STEP 3:
Use a hand blender in the pot to puree the soup, being careful not to splash. Or, transfer a few cups of soup at a time to blender until smooth and then return to the pot to keep warm. If the soup is too thick add a little more broth.
Add to pureed soup that is back in the soup pot, over low heat:
2 T. cream cheese - melt into soup. I used full-fat cheese that melted nicely, however feedback on the recipe suggests melting may vary by brand and fat content. You can also use 2 T. cream if you want foolproof soup.
2 tsp. honey or Agave nectar
Stir to melt in the cream cheese and sweetener into the soup. Serve in bowls with croutons, bread or corn bread and enjoy! You could also garnish with toasted pine nuts or pumpkin seeds, which would be delicious.
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