Lynne Rossetto Kasper’S Butternut Skillet Soup - cooking recipe

Ingredients

3 -4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 onions, medium to large, cut into 1/4-inch dice
salt & freshly ground black pepper
8 large garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/3 cup cider vinegar
1 cup dry white wine
1 (14 ounce) can whole tomatoes, crushed
2 1/2 - 3 lbs butternut squash or 2 1/2-3 lbs kabocha squash, peeled, seeded and cut into 1-inch chunks
8 -10 cups low sodium chicken broth (College Inn is one of my favorites)
Topping
1 large lime, grated peel
2 limes, juice of
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup tightly-packed fresh coriander or 1/2 cup basil leaves, torn

Preparation

In a 12-inch saute pan, heat the oil over medium high.
Stir in the onion, salt and pepper.
Saute until golden.
Stir in garlic and all the thyme. Cook 30 seconds.
Blend in vinegar, scraping up the brown glaze from the bottom of the pan. Boil down to nothing. Do the same with the wine.
Blend in tomatoes.
Cook 2 minutes.
Add squash and broth.
Bring to a gentle simmer over medium low heat.
Cover and cook 30 minutes, or until squash is tender.
Taste for seasoning.
Cool a little, then puree half the soup in a blender.
Pour it back into the pan. Set aside up to an hour at room temperature, or refrigerate up to four days.
Blend together the topping's lime peel, juice, and garlic.
Just before serving stir in the herb leaves.
Reheat soup to bubbling.
Taste again for seasoning.
Sprinkle topping on each serving.
LYNNE'S TIPS
Kabocha is a winter squash. Its dark green rind is streaked with pale green and the orange flesh is sweet when cooked. As with all squash, select ones that are firm and heavy for their size. Cut in half and remove the seeds before baking, steaming or using in soups.
The wide, shallow surface of a big saute pan encourages faster sautes and cooking. Because you can reduce quantities quickly in a big, wide pan, you intensify flavours in a matter of minutes. If you boil down a soup in a deep pot to enrich it, it takes longer and flavours don't stay as fresh.
Fast-browned onions supply the bold foundation you need with sweet ingredients like squash. (Slow browning creates caramel-like sweetness).