Spanish Squash et Apple Soup

Chef

Cookbook

500 Mediterranean Dishes

Published by Sellers Publishing

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This image courtesy of Ian Garlick

This delicious squash soup, called crèma de calabaza in its native Spain, is sharpened by the flavor of the apple, which cleverly takes away some of the dense, sweet flavor of the squash.

NotesVariations

Spanish Squash et Pear Soup: Prepare the basic recipe, replacing the apple with a large ripe pear.

Spanish Squash et Apple Soup with Apple Purée garnish: Prepare the basic recipe. To add more apple flavor, drop 1 teaspoon unsweetened cooked apple purée or chunky applesauce into the center of each bowl of soup just before serving.

Spanish Pumpkin et Apple Soup: Prepare the basic recipe, replacing the squash with a small pumpkin.

Spanish Squash et Apple Soup with Bacon: Prepare the basic recipe, then finish off the soup with 6 tablespoons crisply fired warm bacon cubes, scattered over the top just before serving.

Serves6

Cooking Methodroasting, sauteeing

CostInexpensive

Easy

Total Timeunder 2 hours

Make Ahead RecipeYes

Kid FriendlyYes

OccasionCasual Dinner Party, Family Get-together, Formal Dinner Party

Recipe Courseappetizer

Dietary Considerationegg-free, peanut free, soy free, tree nut free

Equipmentblender

Mealdinner, lunch

Taste and Texturesavory, sweet

Type of Dishsoup

Ingredients

1 medium acorn squash, halved and cleaned
1 apple, peeled and roughly chopped
1 large onion, peeled and roughly chopped
1 potato, peeled and roughly chopped
2 carrots, peeled and roughly chopped
¼ carcass roast chicken (optional)
1 tbsp. Spanish sweet paprika
3 generous cups water
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 cup whole milk
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
6 slices crusty bread, toasted
1 apple, skin on and thinly sliced

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Put the halved acorn squash on a cookie sheet and bake for about 1 hour or until softened. While the squash is baking, prepare the vegetables. Put the apple, onion, potato, and carrots in a large pan with the chicken carcass, paprika, water, and oregano. Simmer for about 40 minutes, adding more water if necessary. Remove and discard chicken carcass (if using). Remove the softened squash from the oven and remove skin and any remaining seeds. Put the cooked flesh of the squash into the soup and stir in the milk. In a blender or food processor, puree the soup completely and return to the heat. In a separate pan, soften the slices of apple in boiling water for 5 minutes. Season the soup to taste and serve in a warm soup tureen or individual bowls lined with the toasted bread, with a few of the softened apple slices for each serving.