Did you see this month’s Bon Appetit? The entire thing is devoted to comfort foods. You have to admit, when you are cold and hungry, comfort foods seem to reach right in and fix you up.
And what is more comforting that soup? Nothing except maybe chocolate.

This soup is every bit as good as it looks.  Hubbard squash, granny smith apple, Texas sweet onions, and garlic cloves are roasted to bring out the flavors.  Once the soup is finished a swirl of chipotle and cinnamon puree is added.  The flavors are complex, bouncing between spicy, sweet, smoky and tart; all wrapped up in silky smooth texture.

You can certainly cut down the richness of this soup by using milk, skim milk, or chicken broth.  Just be sure to get enough liquid in it to keep it from being a puree exactly but not so much that it is thin.

I recommend the Texas Sweet Onions for thisl.  They have a milder flavor that becomes very complex during roasting.

My menu was:

• Roast Hubbard Squash and Apple Soup
• Artisan Raisin-Pecan  Bread with organic butter
• Salad of Baby Herbs with homemade balsamic vinaigrette
• Red Grapes

It went together well, and the flavors complimented each other.  The addition of bleu cheese to the salad would have been amazing, but my family does not like bleu cheese.

Roasted Hubbard Squash and Apple Soup with Cinnamon Chipotle Swirl

• 2 small hubbard squash, peeled and cut in 1 inch chunks
• 2 large Texas Sweet onions, peeled and cut in 1 inch chunks
• 2 Granny Smith apples (or other tart style apple), cut in chunks but not peeled
• 1 head of garlic, peeled
• Olive oil
• 2 cup cream
• 3 cups half and half
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter
• salt to taste
• Agave to taste

1. Drizzle vegetables with olive oil and toss lightly to coat.  Bake at 450 until cooked and slightly caramelized.  Stir often.
2. Puree with a little of the half and half in a blender until smooth.  Depending on the size and strength of your blender you may need to do it in batches.
3. Add the puree back into the pan and whisk in the heavy cream and the rest of the half and half.  Add butter.
4. Warm slowly. The soup should be thick and silky, about the texture of heavy cream.
5. Check the seasoning and add salt and Agave as needed.

Chipotle Cinnamon Swirl

• Take about 1/3 to 1/2 cup of the soup and add 1/2 tsp. chipotle granules, or to taste.
• Stir in 1 tablespoon of Vietnamese Cinnamon.
• Stir in 1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
• Heat until the chipotle softens, but do not boil.  Taste and adjust seasoning.
• Puree until smooth.  Thin with some of the cream if necessary.

Ladle the hot soup into bowls and drizzle the chipotle cinnamon swirl over the top, use a knife to swirl it into the soup.  Drizzle a few drops of olive oil or cream randomly over the top and serve hot.

Serves 6

Images: c) marye audet 2009

Post from: Baking Delights

Happy weekend!

We had two simultaneous sleepovers last night.  BOY sleep overs.

Why do girls have the reputation of being giggleboxes? Seriously? A roomful of boys is just as bad, or worse.  Poor Shiloh braved the testosterone as long as she could and then retreated to her pink room with the antique Victorian bed.  Kyrie, being much younger and yet just as aware of the testosterone condensation appearing on the walls asked to sleep at our oldest daughter’s house with our grandkids.  Smart girl.

I retreated to my room, with the rose themed border and bedpread.  And here I am still, this morning, hiding with my computer.

There were two boxes of pizza left over and I told them to just eat that for breakfast.  Marc and Matthew were headed to a mens meeting at church, and as long as I have coffee I don’t care about food.

So, that is what my Saturday is looking like.  Yours?  Are you staying warm?  I have been watching twitter with interest as everyone gives their highs and lows.  We have had highs in the 30s followed by highs in the 70s.  That is just how Texas is.  You learn not to put ANY seasonal clothes away from October to June because it could be 86 one day and 37 the next.

This week I wanted to concentrate on soups since the majority of the country seems to be bombared with blustery blasts, swirling snow, and icy toes.  Soup makes your house smell great, is generally pretty frugal, healthy, and it is warm.

Here’s what I found.

Anna, who blogs Morsels and Musings, has a fantabulous looking Mushroom and Barley soup. Mushrooms add a lot of flavor and in this vegetarian soup they give the rich, beefy taste that goes so well with barely.

Kevin, of Closet Cooking, creates on of my comfort foods.  His Hot and Sour  Soup looks amazing !

On Andrea’s Recipes, Andrea posted a recipe for a Carrot and Ginger Soup that is way different from mine.  I am definitely trying this one.

A new blog to me is SImple, Natural, Nourishing.  Shannon has a fantastic looking Tomato and Balsamic VInegar Soup recipe up.  What IS it about tomato soup? It is just that good.

How can I resist the blog of a fellow Texas housewife?  Nessa, from  Texas Housewife’s Homemakin’ Blog has a great Chicken and Rice Soup recipe posted.

I am a big fan of Judy’s at No Fear Entertaining.  Her Tuscan Pumpkin and White Bean soup might be just the thing to defrost with this afternoon.

Smell’s Like Home has a recipe posted for Sausage and Lentil Soup.  That sounds like comfort food to me.

Alejandra has posted a recipe for one of my favorites, Split Pea Soup on Always Order Dessert.  This particular recipe is different in that it is lighter and has a “smoky garlic swirl” to add both visual appeal and flavor. Yum.

From Jill, at Hey, That Tastes Good!, comes this recipe for Hungarian Bean Soup.  If it has worked all these years for cold Hungarians you know it will thaw you, too.  Right?  And it is gluten free.

From me, a recipe for Zuppa Tuscana.  Warm, rich and creamy, this is the kind of soup I love best.

What are your favorite soups?  Do you have any favorites that I missed?

Stay warm!

Image:Bennigan’s Baked Potato Soup (c) 2009 Marye Audet, all rights reserved.

Post from: Baking Delights