Sunday, December 19, 2010

The Season of Soup


It is a frigid time in the city. The avenues are packed with boisterous revelers. People on the street move in sluggish pods, just to stay warm. The nose is cold and the tips of the ears are numb. As the song says, “I’ve grown a little leaner, grown a little colder, grown a little sadder, grown a little older.”

Soup is the antidote - simple, rustic soup with just a few ingredients. Soup that simmers on the stove, filling the nostrils with comfort and joy. White Bean and Butternut Squash Soup.

The source is Alice Water’s “The Art Simple Food.” The ingredients are mostly in the pantry starting with one cup of dried cannellini beans soaked overnight. The beans are drained and combined in a pot with 3 cups of chicken broth and 4 cups of water, brought to a boil and then simmered until tender, about 45 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Meanwhile, heat two tablespoons of olive oil in a Dutch oven and add two onions sliced thin, 4 sage leaves and one bay leaf. Cook over medium heat until the onions are tender for about 15 minutes.


The butternut squash comes from Restoration Farm – still bright, sweet and bursting with color and energy. The autumn produce is like a tonic as we sit at the edge of winter. Peel the squash and cut into ½ inch cubes and add with coarse salt to the pot with the onions. Cook the mixture for 5 minutes. Drain the beans and add six cups of the cooking liquid to the squash and onions. Add additional water if there is not enough cooking liquid. Simmer until the squash becomes tender and then add the beans and keep cooking until the squash is soft. Blend the soup slightly with an immersion blender, but leave chunks of squash and beans. Season with salt and pepper.

Drizzle a thick slice of homemade bread with olive oil and toast in the oven until crispy. Place the bread at the center of a shallow bowl and pour the hot soup over the bread. Warmth and sanity restored. Joy to the World!


©2010 T.W. Barritt All Rights Reserved

14 comments:

  1. That soup looks like just what I need today and lucky me, I've got a butternut squash I need to use. Thank you for the recipe!

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  2. This post is music to my ears. I'm a year-round soup chick, but never more so than when the weather turns biting cold. Today being Sunday, it's soup-making day in my house. Everything that's in the kitchen or on the countertop is fair game.

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  3. I've made a lot of white beans soups, but the combination of white bean and squash is new to me. Sounds fabulous and very comforting and oh so pretty.
    Stay warm,
    Sam

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  4. Your soup looks delicious--it's a good soup day here in Texas today. Thanks for the inspiration!

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  5. Anonymous9:54 AM

    Will you ship to NJ?

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  6. I love Alice Water's the Art of Simple Food, the book shares many good ideas on fresh seasonal fruits and vegetables. This soup looks perfect for a day like this.

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  7. That sure looks and sounds good. I love bean soup, I bet the squash really makes it delicious.

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  8. what a perfect looking soup - when I looked at this post last night with sleepy eyes I thought the squash were chunks of aged gouda or something like that - so now with a fresh look on things I still think they look like hunks of aged cheese.....LOL - happy holidays.

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  9. oH PLEASE restore my sanity. The holidays can be so stressful! With a serious vegetarian coming for holiday dinner... this is great... hopefully she won't feel left out as she often feels around the holidays... this will be a special treat! HOw I love Alice Waters, you remind me I must get that cookbook! Happy Holidays, TW!

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  10. We love soups at this time of the year also. We usually make vegetable soup or potage.

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  11. I am a soup-aholic. Have you used your pressure cooker lately? Mine needs to get a workout. You know, I just learned to like butternut squash. I'll bet this is delicious.

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  12. Restorative! You have given us the perfect soup for a damp and cold winter day. I hope all is well. Blessings...Mary

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  13. When cold happens, soup happens. There is something soul satisfying about soup. Your combination of squash and white bean is delightful. Rustic and simplistic too.

    Happy Holidays to you!

    Velva

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  14. This soup is wonderful! I am making it this minute.

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