Prep/Cook time: 45 minutes – 1 hour Servings: About 5, depending on how it is served
Budget Value Rating $$/5 servings = 2.5
Inspired by the Red Kuri squash that I picked up from Deep Roots Farm’s booth at the Moscow Winter Market, this Red Kuri squash soup this is another warming soup – perfect for a rainy early spring evening in the Palouse
It has a base of chorizo, onions and garlic. These ingredients are put into the pan sequentially, with about 5 minutes in between each
1 pack chorizo sausage
½ onion
2 cloves of garlic, minced
Chorizo came from the Moscow Food Co-op– chorizo is a spicy pork sausage of Spanish origin; I am using fresh here, but suspect that the smoked, or otherwise preserved versions could be experimented with to good effect
*Vegetarian option is to use lentils from PNW Co-op and a vegetable-based fat. I enjoy using the Sunrise red lentils that I keep in the pantry and it would be delicious to try Camelina Gold oil for sautéing the onions and garlic
Onions and potatoes are still in the pantry from buying 25lbs for storage, when our 2014 CSA share at the WSU Organic Farm ended
Dried Red Pepper – I bought sweet red peppers fresh from Tonnemaker Farm’s booth at the summer market, and then cut them into strips and dried them in my dehydrator at home. The Tonnemakers also sell dried peppers seasonally and were available from their booth at the Winter Farmer’s Market – they are delicious, incredibly versatile and are high in vitamin C
Garlic and Red Kuri Squash came from Deep Roots’s booth at the Moscow Winter Farmer’s Market. When I peel the squash, I try to do it in smaller pieces so I can add it to the worm compost bin that I have going in my kitchen – the worms like their food scraps small.
After the 15 minute sauté, add to the pan:
2 potatoes, cubed
1/3 c dried red peppers
1 Red Kuri Squash, peeled and cubed
2-6 c water
Penzey’s Hungarian Smoked Paprika (or equivalent)
Flaked Sea Salt
*Vegetarian option can add 1 – 2 cups of lentils here, depending on the desired texture of your final soup
Simmer these ingredients for 20 – 30 minutes, until the potatoes and squash are tender
*Gumbo* option: add sliced sausage halfway through the previous step. At the end, add frozen shrimp and corn with some Cajun seasoning or other spices, like garlic, oregano, and thyme- to taste. Continue cooking for 3-5 minutes, or until the shrimp are bright pink (or use any of these things alone or in combination, as with almost all of my recipes, the possibilities are endless! – for my version I added sliced sausage to the base recipe)
Bonus points for adding chopped cilantro and green onions and plain yogurt (if you are not dairy-free)
Enjoy with family or friends! – this dish can be served with biscuits, over quinoa, rice, grits or polenta. Alternatively, more water can be added for a thinner soup served alone, as a lighter meal, or as a course in a larger dinner.
A big Thank You to Shane McFarland for always helping to clean up the mess I make!
References:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chorizo
http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/vegetables-and-vegetable-products/3001/2
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