Warming Acorn Squash Soup

I feel like I’m doing some personal compensating for pumpkin spice backlash today.

I had exactly one pumpkin spice concoction last fall, a pumpkin spice chai latte enjoyed on a work trip. I remember it well: It was late September, just barely past the equinox but a cloudy sky and blustery wind off the Potomac made it feel quintessentially autumnal. I hadn’t seen this particular iteration on a menu before (likely because I mostly live under a rock when it comes to seasonal Starbucks) and it just felt right. Of course, it also felt right to do penance in the form of immediately posting an Instagram story heavily utilizing the “Basic” sticker.

But listen, the equation of the PSL with basicness is not exclusively the territory of beachy waves and mason jars. There's also the basic truth, which is that squash goes so well with the blend we refer to as "pumpkin spice" that it's literally in the name. 

Rather than using pumpkin spice here, though, I've used garam masala, an Indian spice blend that leans more savory than traditional pumpkin spice due to the inclusion of cumin and coriander but includes those other familiar fall flavors. I also amped up the ginger, threw in some cayenne, and added turmeric, which in retrospect is so hammeringly trendy right now in probably inflates the #basic factor.

Getting back to that simple truth, though: Here we have beautifully fragrant, warming spices toasted up to therapeutic effect (at least in psychosomatic terms) in a comfortingly smooth pureed soup with PSL sweetness added in the form of caramelized leeks scattered on top. For that I offer no apologies.

Of course, though — like with the impromptu pumpkin spice chai from four months ago that is clearly still looming large in my memory as (idiotic as it may be) somewhere between a detour from and a betrayal of my concept of self — this soup was not in my plans.

See, I was cruising Findlay Market yesterday for some tempting veg when this unmarked mystery cucurbit caught my eye. What’s this? No sign? And residing on the shelf that usually holds bananas? Obviously I must interrupt the friendly shopkeep ASAP to inquire as to the variety and provenance of this fat and ripe little gourd. 

When she answered "acorn, local" I was incredulous to the point of Google image searching. My acorn squash experience heretofore has been exclusively Elphaba Thropp-level green-skinned, and these looked straight-up '80s-Nerf-ball orange. BTW just learned Nerf is an acronym for "non-expanding recreational foam." The foam may not be expanding but my mind sure is, amirite? New knowledge plus acceptance of a new color paradigm for acorn squash. Dang, didn't know I could feel woke about squash.

post-roast

Is it weird that my impulse buys have been mostly squash-related lately? I was going to leave myself a Note to Self on this habit (hey, buy a chapstick and an Entertainment Weekly next time, ya goof!), but honestly - when the results are healthy and delicious, what's to correct? Maybe 2018 is the year of the squash.

Actually, it's the year of the dog, so naturally I just image searched "squash dog" so you don't have to. Ya welcome.

And if you're worried that my making this #basic soup is an indicator that I've lost my soup edge (not that your soup should have edges, because that ain't right) or my sense of culinary exploration, never fear. It's not like I ate this while wearing Lululemon pants and reading The Power of Now* or something.

*I totally did that.

Warming Acorn Squash Soup

with caramelized leeks and toasty pumpkin seeds

Serves 2

extra virgin olive oil

2 acorn squash, halved lengthwise and seeds scooped out and discarded (or separate them out to roast if they look like good ones)

½ a medium red onion, chopped

1 carrot, peeled and chopped

1 stick of celery, chopped

1 teaspoon turmeric

1 teaspoon garam masala

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1/8 teaspoon cayenne (or just a pinch if you don’t like much heat)

2 cups vegetable or chicken broth

1 tablespoon raw pumpkin seeds

1 leek, white and light green parts sliced about ¼” thick

1 teaspoon butter

freshly grated nutmeg

Preheat oven to 400F. Spray or rub a bit of olive oil into cut sides of squash, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and place cut side down on a cookie sheet. Roast in oven until flesh is tender – mine took about 25 minutes – then remove and let cool a bit.

Meanwhile, put a drizzle of olive oil (a teaspoon or two) into your soup pot over medium heat. Add red onion, celery and carrot with a pinch of salt, and stir to coat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until mixture is soft but not browning – about 10 minutes.

Add garam masala, cayenne, ginger and turmeric, and cook, stirring, until spices are toasted and fragrant, about 1 minute. Add broth and bring to a simmer.

Check to make sure the squash isn’t too hot to handle comfortably – if you’re good, then grab a spoon and scoop the flesh into your soup. It’s okay if some of the skin ends up in the soup pot too – you’re going to blend it up anyway and it’s a fairly thin, tender skin. Let this simmer together a while to blend flavors while you make the toppings.

Place butter in a small sauté pan over medium-low heat, add leeks and a few tablespoons of water. Cover pan and let cook until leeks are tender – mine were there in about 12 minutes. Uncover and turn heat up to medium-high, stirring occasionally, until liquid has mostly evaporated and you’re seeing caramelization happen on the edges of the leeks. Push leeks to one side of the pan to continue caramelizing, then add pumpkin seeds to the other side of the pan, seasoning with salt and pepper. Toast up the pumpkin seeds until crispy and starting to pop, then remove to a paper towel. Add a pinch of salt to the leeks, stir and remove pan from heat.

Using an immersion blender, blend soup until completely smooth. Divide among two bowls and top with leeks and pumpkin seeds, then grate just a bit of nutmeg on top of each.