2 tablespoons butter or olive oil
2-3 leeks, sliced into rounds
1 fresh seasonal butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into chunks
Chicken stock or filtered water to cover
1 bouquet garni
½ cup cream, crème fraîche, or yogurt; or 1 cup buttermilk or half and half
Salt and pepper to taste
Crème fraîche or yogurt, for garnish
Finely minced rosemary, thyme, sage, or parsley leaves (or a combination of these herbs); or a grating of nutmeg; or a grind of black pepper, for garnish
- Heat the butter or oil in a medium-sized soup pot. Add the leeks and sauté until soft.
- Add the butternut squash, then add stock or filtered water to cover the vegetables by about ½ inch. Add the bouquet garni and bring the pot to a boil.
- Reduce the heat and simmer until the squash is soft.
- Turn off the heat and remove the bouquet garni.
- Puree the soup with an immersion blender (or in a standard blender), adding the yogurt or other dairy, and plenty of salt and pepper as you blend. Taste the soup and adjust the seasonings – adding more salt and pepper is it's too bland.
- Serve in a shallow bowl with a dollop of crème fraîche (or yogurt) and a sprinkling of herbs, nutmeg, or pepper.
Serves 3-4.
Courtesy Full Moon Feast: "Food and the Hunger for Connection," by Jessica Prentice, Chelsea Green Publishing, 2006
