Prep Time: 1 hour
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour, 30 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 lb. winter squash; (use butternut, buttercup, kabocha or delicata)
- 1 sm. leek — cleaned and cut into strips
- 2 tbsp. butter
- 1/3 c buttermilk
- 1/3 c chicken stock
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
- 2 tsp prepared horseradish
- 1/4 tsp ground cardamom
- 1 pinch ground cloves
- 1 pinch ground nutmeg
- Salt to taste
Preparation:
1. Cut squash in half lengthwise, clean out seeds, and place cut side down in a baking dish.
2. Add about 1/2 inch of water to baking dish and cook in a 400F oven until tender - 45 minutes to 1 hour.
3. Let cool then scrape out flesh into a 2 qt bowl and refrigerate overnight. Drain accumulated liquid.
4. Melt butter in a 2 qt saucepan over medium low heat and then sweat leeks until translucent.
5. Add 1/2 of butter milk, 1/2 of chicken broth, and all other ingredients. Bring to a simmer and heat thoroughly.
6. Puree the soup using a hand blender, stand blender or food processor.
7. The soup should be thick, but still thin enough to require a bowl and spoon to eat. Add additional buttermilk and chicken stock to achieve desired consistency.
8. Taste and adjust seasonings - in particular you may need a bit more maple syrup depending on how sweet the squash was.
Note: This is much better if soup is allowed to meld overnight in the refrigerator.