BUTTERNUT SQUASH SOUP WITH CHUTNEY

This recipe is a favorite among all my friends, and of course my husband.

I was not a big soup eater until I tried this recipe. It is such a tasty soup and easy to make.

Over time, however, I have changed it slightly from the original recipe.

INGREDIENTS:

BUTTERNUT SQUASH SOUP:

• 2 cups chopped onion
• 2 tablespoons butter (optional, can be substitutes with oil instead for a vegan option)
• 2 tablespoons vegetable/sunflower oil
• One 3- to 3 1/2-pound butternut squash, peeled, halved, the seeds and strings discarded, and the flesh cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 6 cups chicken broth, or if you are a vegetarian use vegetable broth
• Salt and pepper
• Deep fried onion for garnish

TOOLS & EQUIPMENT:

• Large pot
• Hand blender / food processor

CHUTNEY:

• 1/4 cup almonds without any skin (see instructions)
• 1/4 cup sweetened flaked coconut
• 1 jalapeño chili chopped, no seeds, (wear rubber gloves)
• 1 cup loosely packed cilantro

DIRECTIONS:
THE BUTTERNUT SQUASH SOUP:

1. In a kettle, cook the onions in a mixture of the butter and the oil over moderately low heat, stirring, until they are softened and starting to get translucent.
2. Add the squash and 1/2 cup water, and cook the mixture, covered, over moderately low heat for 20 to 30 minutes, or until the squash is tender.
3. Add the broth and simmer the mixture, uncovered, for 15 minutes.
4. Using a food processor, or a hand blender (as I prefer), purée the whole soup mixture.
5. Serve the soup in a bowl and garnish with about a tablespoon of the chutney and sprinkle with some fried onion. (The fried onion was my husband’s idea)

THE CHUTNEY:

1. Cover the almonds with boiling water for a few minutes. Drain the water and add cold water to the almonds. The skin will loosen up and you can easily remove the skin from the almonds. If this doesn’t work, repeat with the boiling water.
2. In a food processor or with a hand blender, blend the almonds, the coconut, the jalapeño, a pinch of salt, and 1/3 cup of water until the mixture is ground fine. Add the cilantro and blend the mixture until it is ground fine.

(This recipe makes what is known as a “dry” chutney, which has a slightly grainy texture.) The chutney may be made 8 hours in advance and kept covered and chilled.