Chef Jeff

Thought I would share the recipes for the blended soups Jeff has been making for me. My favorite is the cauliflower soup and I definitely recommend adding nutmeg.

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

2 butternut squash
3-4 cloves of garlic, crushed or minced
Olive oil
Olive oil spray
Salt
Nutmeg

Preheat oven to 425. Take 2 butternut squashes, cut off the two ends, and cut each in half lengthwise. Put on a baking sheet covered with foil. Spray with olive oil spray and sprinkle with a dash of salt and pepper. Roast in the oven for about 45 minutes. Remove and allow to cool until they’re cool enough to handle. Remove the peel from the cooked squash and put the squash meat aside.

Heat a large pot and then add a small amount of olive oil. Saute a few cloves of crushed garlic (3 or 4) a few minutes – making sure not to burn. Add the cooked squash – cut into chunks - and enough water to cover. Heat until the water comes to a slow boil and then simmer on low for about 15 minutes. Use an immersion blender or add the mixture in parts to a regular blender and blend until smooth. Add salt and ground nutmeg (preferably freshly ground) to taste.

Potato Leek Soup

2 large leeks
5-6 russet potatoes
Olive oil
Salt & Pepper

Prep the vegetables first and set aside in separate containers: Cut the base and the leafy green section off of the leeks, rinse, and make sure they’re very well dried. Cut lengthwise and then again to quarter each leek. Cut into small pieces about a quarter inch wide. Peel the potatoes and cube into approximately half inch cubes.

Heat a large pot and then add a small amount of olive oil. Add the leeks and sauté until soft being careful not to burn. Add the potatoes and immediately cover with water. Add some of the salt and pepper, though less than you think you need (it is easy to add more at the end but impossible to remove if you add too much early on). Bring to a slow boil and then reduce heat and simmer for about an hour until the potatoes are falling apart.

Use an immersion blender or add the mixture in parts to a regular blender and blend until smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Optionally add a small amount of cream and blend in to make a richer soup.

Cauliflower Soup

1 small yellow or white onion
2 russet potatoes
2-3 large stalks celery
1 head cauliflower
2-3 cloves garlic, crushed or minced
Olive oil
Salt

Prep the vegetables first and set aside in separate containers: Dice the onion and celery and store together. Peel the potatoes and cube into approximately half inch cubes. Clean the cauliflower, remove all green stems and leaves, and break into roughly one inch pieces.

Heat a large pot and then add a small amount of olive oil. Add the onion and celery and sauté until soft and the onions are starting to get clear. Add the crushed garlic and sauté another couple of minutes, making sure not to burn anything. Add the cauliflower and potatoes and enough water to cover. Add some of the salt, though less than you think you need (it is easy to add more at the end but impossible to remove if you add too much early on). Bring to a slow boil and then reduce heat, simmering for about an hour or until both the potatoes and the cauliflower and almost falling apart.

Use an immersion blender or add the mixture in parts to a regular blender and blend until smooth. Add salt to taste.

Optionally, add some freshly ground nutmeg to taste.

Vegetable Soup

4 large carrots
4 large or 6-7 small yellow star squash
4 green zucchini squash
2-3 russet potatoes
3 large parsnips
1 medium onion
3-4 large stalks celery
4-5 cloves garlic, crushed or minced
¼ - ½ red bell pepper
Olive oil
Salt & Pepper

Prep the vegetables first and set aside in separate containers: dice the onion, celery, carrots, parsnips, potatoes (peeled), and red bell pepper. Trim the ends and peel the green squash. Cut lengthwise and then again into quarters then cut into ½” wide slices. Trim the ends from the yellow squash and cut into pieces about a half inch square.

Heat a large pot and then add a small amount of olive oil. Add the onion, celery, carrots, and red bell pepper and sauté until soft and the onion is starting to get clear. Add the crushed garlic and sauté another minute or two, making sure not to burn anything. Add the squash (both) and sauté another several minutes until the squash starts to warm up and get slightly soft on the outside. Stir often to allow even cooking. Add more olive oil if necessary.

Add the remaining vegetables and add enough water to cover. Add some of the salt and pepper, though less than you think you need (it is easy to add more at the end but impossible to remove if you add too much early on). Bring to a slow boil and then reduce heat. Simmer for roughly an hour until the potatoes are starting to fall apart and all the other vegetables are very soft and will almost fall apart with a fork.

Use an immersion blender or add the mixture in parts to a regular blender and blend until smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Optionally, you may replace the squash with equivalents, including yellow baby squash, yellow crookneck squash, etc. You may also add other vegetables. For a slightly milder soup, you may leave out the red bell pepper or add more for a spicier soup.