Recipe submitted by sharer Lisa Kamer
Advice from Lisa:
You could leave out the kaffir lime leaves and substitute with a little lime zest. This recipe was given to me by a chef I used to work with. Beyond that, I’m not sure where it came from but know it’s just delicious and different than the typical squash soup recipes I’ve had in the past.
1 large onion, peeled, large dice
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon chopped ginger
4—6 cups cooked butternut, kabocha or other winter squash
1 cup white wine (optional)
6 cups chicken stock
8 stalks lemongrass, white part only, chopped roughly
5 kaffir lime leaves or substitute lime zest
2 jalapeños
1/2 cup fish sauce
1/2 cup fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon sugar
Salt and pepper
In a medium stockpot coated with 1 tablespoon oil sweat the onion, garlic, and ginger until the onions are translucent. Add the squash, wine, and the chicken stock and bring to a simmer, cooking for about 20 minutes. In a hot sauté pan coated with 1 tablespoon oil, sear the lemongrass and jalapeños until lightly browned and remove from heat.
After 20 minutes of cooking, purée and smooth using a hand blender or a traditional blender and return to a simmer. Add the sautéed lemongrass, jalapenos, sugar, kaffir lime leaves, lime juice and fish sauce. Gently simmer for 20 minutes. To serve, season to taste with salt and pepper. The soup should be medium in body so add additional chicken stock or water as needed.