Yield: 6 servings
| Measure | Ingredient |
|---|---|
| 1 tablespoon | Olive oil |
| 1 \N | Onion(s), chopped |
| 2 \N | Stalks celery, chopped |
| 1 \N | Carrot, chopped |
| 3 \N | Garlic clove(s) finely chopped |
| ½ \N | Chilies such as Scotch Bonnet seeds and stems removed finely chopped |
| 5 cups | Chicken stock |
| 1½ pounds | Calabaza or butternut squash |
| \N \N | Chopped chives or scallion greens peeled, seeded cut into 1-inch pieces (4 cups) |
| ¼ cup | Parsley; chopped |
| 2 \N | Bay leaves |
| 2 \N | Sprigs fresh thyme or |
| 1 teaspoon | Dried thyme |
| 1 tablespoon | Brown sugar plus more to taste |
| ½ cup | Sour cream plus |
| 3 tablespoons | Sour cream for garnish |
| \N \N | Salt and pepper |
| ¼ teaspoon | Cayenne |
GARNISH
Heat oil in Dutch oven or soup pot over medium heat. Add onions, celery and carrots; cook until soft but not brown, 3-4 minutes. Add garlic and chilies and cook for 1 minute more. Stir in stock, bay leaves, thyme and sugar. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until the vegetables are very soft, 25-30 minutes. Discard bay leaves and thyme sprigs.
Puree soup in a blender or food processor, in batches if necessary, until very smooth. Add a little water if the soup is too thick..
The soup can be made ahead to this point and kept covered in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
Return soup to the pot and stir in « cup sour cream. Simmer soup for 3 minutes. Adjust seasonings, adding brown sugar, salt and pepper to taste.
To serve, ladle soup into bowls. GArnish each portion with « tbs dollop of sour cream, some chives or scallions and a dusting of red pepper. Serve at once.
Eating Well February 1995
Submitted By DIANE LAZARUS On 02-06-95