Here is one of my new favorites! I decided that we needed more squash in our diet and set out to find some recipes...this one is from the Cabbagetown Cafe Cookbook. I serve this with a tossed salad consisting of red leaf lettuce, pears, dried cherries, pecans, feta cheese, and topped with raspberry poppy seed dressing.
2 PotatosCook the potatoes in water to cover until well done, about 30 minutes after the water boils. (I usually cut them up into cubes first.)
In a soup pot, melt the butter. Add the onion and saute until golden brown and sweet, about 10 minutes. Add the spices, marjoram, and salt and saute for 2-3 minutes.
Peel the squash. A vegetable peeler works best. Remove the seeds and chop the squash into cubes. Add it to the onion and butter, along with a little potato water, and let it cook until well done, about 30-40 minutes. Cover the pot to speed the cooking, and stir occasionally. If it starts to stick, add more potato water.
Add the potatoes and potato water to the soup pot and cook together for about 10 minutes.
Blend the squash mixture with the milk until smooth. If you don't have a blender, mash the squash mixture with a potoato masher, then slowly mix in the milk.
Heat the soup gently until it is warmed through, then taste and adjust the salt if needed. Add the Sherry one teaspoon at a time, stirring and tasting after each addition until it pleases you. I find that 2 teaspoons is enough for us, though the recipe calls for 2 tablespoons.
The quality of the squash you started with will make a big difference in the final taste of the soup. Homegrown, well-ripened squash is the sweetest. If your squash is not very sweet, you may want to add 1-2 teasponns of honey to your soup to highlight the squash taste.