Ginger-Maple Squash Soup

SERVES 4 TO 6

This velvety soup is just the thing after a day of raking leaves and putting the fall garden to bed. The vibrant orange hues reflect the burning maples and birch trees that are so bright against the vast sapphire sky. Many of our growers are raising ginger to sell at farmers markets and co-ops.

• 2 tablespoons hazelnut or sunflower oil

• 1 medium onion, chopped

• 2 pounds butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1⁄2 inch pieces

• 1 cup apple cider

• 2 cups vegetable stock (see below) or chicken stock (see below) or water

• 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger

  The Perennial Kitchen: Simple Recipes for a Healthy Future Beth Dooley; photographs by Mette Nielsen

• 1 cup half-and-half or oat substitute

• 2 tablespoons maple syrup

• salt and freshly ground black pepper

• 1 small tart apple, chopped for garnish

• 1⁄4 cup roasted* chopped hazelnuts

Heat the oil in a heavy saucepan over low heat and sauté the onion, stirring until tender but not browned, about 5 minutes. Add the squash, apple cider, stock, and ginger. Simmer until the squash is very tender, about 20 minutes; then add the half-and- half and maple syrup. Puree the soup with an immersion blender or process it in a blender in small batches. Return the soup to the pot, adding more liquid if desired. Season with salt and pepper to taste and heat through. Served garnished with the chopped apple and hazelnuts.

Tip: This recipe makes quick use of leftover cooked squash; use any variety you like. A sweet pumpkin also works well.

*To roast hazelnuts: Preheat the oven to 350oF. Turn the hazelnuts onto a baking sheet in a single layer and roast until fragrant and golden brown, about 10 to 15 minutes.

CHICKEN STOCK

Comforting, restorative, and delicious, great chicken stock requires the right chicken. According to Wayne Martin, educator with the Alternative Livestock Systems, University of Minnesota Extension, the breed of the chicken and where and how the bird was raised make a huge difference to the stock’s flavor and viscosity. Heritage chickens, such as the Kosher King and Freedom Ranger, are the best choice. These breeds develop more muscle and fat, factors that make for a richer tasting stock. Find these chickens at farmers markets, independent butchers, and natural food co-ops. // In this recipe, the chicken skin adds a rich texture and body to the stock. Any excess fat can be skimmed off after it is cooled.

MAKES ABOUT 1 QUART

• 3 to 31⁄2 pounds chicken, cut into parts

• 1 leek, white part only, split, rinsed, and cut into chunks

• 2 ribs celery with leaves, cut into chunks

• 3 carrots, scrubbed and cut into chunks

• 1 bunch parsley, leaves and stems, chopped

• 6 branches fresh thyme (or 1 teaspoon dried)

• 1 bay leaf

• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

• 1 teaspoon salt, or more to taste 

Put the chicken, leeks, celery, carrots, parsley, thyme, bay leaf, and peppercorns into a deep pot and cover with water by 1 inch. Set the pot over medium-high heat and, as soon as it begins to simmer, reduce the temperature and simmer on low until the chicken is very tender, about 1 hour to 75 minutes; turn off the heat.

Transfer the chicken to a carving board and allow to cool. Set the stock over medium-low heat and simmer to reduce and enrich the flavor, about 15 minutes. Add salt and freshly ground pepper to taste. Strain the stock through a sieve lined with a double layer of cheesecloth into another pot; discard the herbs and vegetables.

Remove and discard the skin from the chicken and cut the
meat from the bone into chunks. Store the broth and the chicken separately in the refrigerator for up to 4 days or freeze for up to 3 months.

ROBUST ROAST VEGETABLE STOCK

Turn corncobs, mushroom stems, celery leaves, fennel stalks, and carrot scraps into a quick stock. Roasting the vegetables first makes for a more deeply flavored stock.

MAKES ABOUT 8 CUPS

• 1 large onion, unpeeled, cut into 2-inch chunks

• 2 celery ribs and leaves or 1 fennel bulb and stalks, cut into 2-inch chunks

• 1 large carrot, cut into 2-inch chunks

• 6 ounces mushrooms, sliced

• 1 tablespoon sunflower oil

• 4 sprigs parsley

• 3 sprigs thyme

• 1 bay leaf

• 1 teaspoon peppercorns 8 cups cold water 

Preheat the oven to 425oF. Turn the vegetables onto a rimmed baking sheet and drizzle with the oil. Roast, stirring occasion- ally, until they are well browned, about 45 minutes. Transfer
the vegetables to a stockpot and add the parsley, thyme, bay leaf, peppercorns, and 8 cups cold water. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce the heat, partially cover, and simmer for about 30 minutes. Strain well and cool, uncovered; then refrigerate in a covered container for up to 4 days or freeze.

Tip: Boost the flavor by adding sliced fresh ginger, tomato paste, dried mushrooms, or a Parmesan rind to the stock as it simmers.

Excerpted from The Perennial Kitchen: Simple Recipes for a Healthy Future by Beth Dooley; photographs by Mette Nielsen (University of Minnesota Press, 2021). Copyright 2021 by Beth Dooley; Photographs copyright 2021 by Mette Nielsen. Used by permission of the University of Minnesota Press.