Butternut Squash Soup with Muesli Popcorn Clusters
Instructions:
- Butternut Squash Soup
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 3 small to medium butternut squash
- 4 medium carrots
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 1 tsp. ginger root, grated
- 1/2 tsp. allspice
- 1 tbsp. curry powder
- 1 stick cinnamon
- 1 bay leaf
- salt and white pepper to taste
- 10 cups vegetable stock
- 1/2 cup buckwheat honey
- 1 cup dried apricots, diced
- Muesli Popcorn Clusters (recipe follows)
- 1/4 cup chervil, coarsely chopped
- Muesli Popcorn Clusters
- 4 cups marshmallows (mini, or large ones cut into quarters)
- 2 cups oat muesli cereal blend
- 1/2 cup crushed cornfl akes
- 3/4 cup your choice of dried fruits (raisins, mango, cranberries)
- 1 cup toasted mixed nuts or seeds
- 4 cups popped popcorn
- Butternut Squash Soup
- Peel, seed, and cube the squash; peel and dice the carrots. Add oil to a stockpot and place over medium heat; add 2/3 of the squash and 1/2 of the carrots; then add onion, ginger, allspice, curry powder, cinnamon stick, and bay leaf. Sauté until all the vegetables are soft, then season with salt and pepper. Add the stock, honey, and diced apricot. Simmer for 30 minutes.
- Remove the cinnamon stick and bay leaf; pour contents of stockpot into a blender or food processor and purée. Be careful: this liquid is hot! Strain purée through a fi ne sieve. Adjust seasonings.
- Juice or purée the reserved raw carrot and squash.
- Whisk the raw vegetables into the hot soup, then ladle the soup into warm bowls, fl oat a Muesli Popcorn Cluster in the center of each, and garnish with chervil.
- Muesli Popcorn Clusters
- Preheat the oven to 200ËšF.
- In a large pan, over medium heat, melt the marshmallows, stirring constantly.
- In a large bowl, toss muesli, cornfl akes, dried fruit, and nuts. Set aside approximately a quarter of this mixture. Add the popcorn; mix it in, then carefully stir in melted marshmallow. Cool until comfortable enough to handle. Divide into eight sections. Using your hands, form into balls. Roll balls in the mixture you set aside, then place on a baking tray lined with parchment paper.
- Bake for 5 minutes or until fi rm.
- Serve immediately with the soup, or make ahead and store in an airtight container