Squash That Soup—or Soup That Squash

This is a delicious soup that is, equally importantly, yet another way to use up some of the squash that has been filling our bags each Saturday morning at the CSA. I've made butternut squash soup in the past, and I have always liked it, but since we are knee deep in summer squash at the moment, it's good to have a recipe to make a nice soup for these chilly October days, too. Thanks to CSA member Diana Lewis for sending the recipe.

Summer Squash Soup with Parsley Mint Pistou*

For squash soup
3/4 stick (6 tablespoons) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 medium onion, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced crosswise
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 lb yellow summer squash, halved and thinly sliced
2 carrots, thinly sliced
1 yellow-fleshed potato (1/2 lb), peeled, halved,
and thinly sliced
4 cups chicken stock or reduced-sodium chicken broth**

For pistou
3/4 cup loosely packed fresh mint leaves
1/2 cup loosely packed fresh flat-leaf parsley sprigs
1 large scallion, chopped (1/2 cup)
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons water
1/4 teaspoon salt



For the soup, melt butter in a large, heavy pot over moderate heat, then cook onion with salt, stirring, until softened, about 8 minutes. Add squash, carrots, potato, and stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, then simmer, partially covered, until vegetables are very tender, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat and cool soup, uncovered, 10 minutes. When the soup is cool enough, work in batches and purée it in a food processor or blender until smooth (use caution when blending hot liquids) and transfer to a bowl. Return purée to cleaned pot and thin with water if desired; simmer 3 minutes. Season with salt and garnish with the pistou.

Make pistou while vegetables simmer by combining the mint, parsley, and scallion in a food processor until finely chopped. With motor running, add oil in a stream, then add water and salt, blending until incorporated. Swirl 1 tablespoon pistou into each bowl of soup.

*From Gourmet magazine, September 2006.
**Vegetable stock works fine for this, too.