Acorn Squash and Celeriac Soup for Fall
A Creamy & Chunky Soup with a Coconut Cream Swirl and Hatch Chiles… very comforting and healthy! Perfect for weekdays, special enough for company and holidays.
Many types of winter squashes make glorious soups. I recently picked up some Acorn Squash and thought – maybe an underdog squash for soup… is butternut squash really superior? Acorn squash has a very mild buttery taste, a little sweeter than pumpkin.
The celery root will add a natural creaminess to the soup which I love!
Ingredients
Instructions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Lay a silat liner or parchment paper on a rimmed baking pan. Lightly oil.
Cut squashes in half lengthwise. Add to pan cut side down. Add 3T. of water around the pan. Roast for 45 minutes. Squashes should be softened, and the underneath golden and caramelized. Set aside to cool slightly.
While squash roasts, Add butter to a heavy soul pot, melt over medium heat. Add celery root cubes and the leeks. Cook stirring over moderate heat for 5 minutes until softened a little. Add garlic, paprika, honey and cayenne pepper. Stir to blend flavors, cook one minute. Add the pineapple juice and broth. Bring to a boil, cover then turn down heat to a simmer. Cook until the celery root has softened, about 20 minutes.
In the meantime – turn acorn squash over, scoop out seeds and discard them.
With a large spoon, scoop out the acorn squash flesh and place on a large cutting board, discard the skins. Give a rough chop – about 1/2″ chunks.
Add the acorn squash chunks to the soup. Simmer with the other ingredients for 5 minutes to blend the flavors. Remove from the heat.
When the soup has cooled off a bit, add half of the soup to the carafe of a blender and whirl until very smooth. Add this back to the soup in the pot and mix well.
Taste the soup for salt and seasonings (depends on the saltiness of your broth.)
How to Roast Hatch Chile:
Place a fresh hatch chile directly over a high flame on a burner. Let blacken on first side, turn over with tongs and blacken on second side. Place in a small paper bag and fold to seal. Let steam for a few minutes, then rub off and discard the blackened skin. Cut chile in half, discard seeds and finely chop. These are spicy! – use just a touch in the soup, use remainder for over recipes.
Coconut Cream Swirl:
In a small bowl blend the coconut cream with cinnamon.
To serve: Ladle warm soup onto individual bowls. With a small spoon add coconut cream to the soup in small dollops, using about 1 1/2 teaspoons. Swirl with a small sharp knife or skewer. Top with chopped hatch chiles (they are spicy, yet add a nice complexity.)
Garnish with an herb sprig, such as curly parsley.
* Vegetable Broth: I have used Organic Better Than Bouillon vegetable base with great results.
See BLOG for many more photos and information.
This recipe may not be reproduced without the consent of its author, Karen Sheer.
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