Heirloom Squash Soup Recipe

Ingredients

4 tablespoons butter
½ cup fennel bulb, chopped
½ cup leeks, chopped
¼ cup celery, chopped
¼ cup Spanish onion, chopped
½ cup Granny Smith apple, chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed and chopped
1 (3 pound) butternut squash, peeled, seeded and rough chopped
1 (3 pound) heirloom winter squash, peeled, seeded and rough chopped
2 teaspoons brown sugar
2 teaspoons kosher salt
¾ teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ cup fresh orange juice
3 to 4 cups chicken stock
¾ cup heavy cream

Instructions

1. Melt butter over medium heat in a Dutch oven. Add fennel, leeks, celery and onions; sauté until the onions are translucent. Add the apples and garlic; sauté an additional 3 minutes.

2. Add butternut and heirloom squash to the sautéed vegetables and cook for 5 to 7 minutes or until the squash begins to breakdown. Add the sugar, salt, pepper and cinnamon; cook an additional 1 minute.

4. Add the orange juice to the squash, increase the heat and cook until juice is reduced by half.

5. Pour in chicken stock to just cover the squash; cook until fork tender.

6. Puree soup with an emersion blender or in batches in a stand blender. Return soup to Dutch oven, stir in cream and heat on low. Serve hot.

Yield: 12 cups