Thanksgiving Soup
Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday! For me, it has always been about family, friends and food.
One week prior to Thanksgiving, I was required to breakdown my Lionel Train layout, and clear my 4' x 8' train table down to the plywood. Memories of my mother and Aunt Josie covering the table with heavy linens to lay out the fresh pasta dough, and then spending countless hours making hundreds of fresh ravioli for our pasta course, are bittersweet. You see, they took their recipes with them. Since I cannot replicate the aforementioned Ravioli, or Palma's Rice Pudding, her Christmas Eve Haddock Soup and numerous other lost family food treasures, I have put together this cooking site. Also, my daughter threatened me with dire consequences if I didn't comply with her request. So, here we are!
Ingredients
3 pounds of Butternut Squash, peeled and cut into small cubes - at Thanksgiving time you will find the peeling and cutting already done for you
3 large leeks, trim 1/4 inch off the white end and trim the dark green stalk and discard. Chop the white and light green parts and reserve.
1/2 cup chopped and peeled carrot
1/2 cup chopped celery
1 stick unsalted butter
3 Granny Smith Apples, peeled, cored and chopped
1 1/2 tsp. dried thyme
1/2 tsp dried sage
6 cups low sodium chicken stock
1 1/2 cups apple cider
1/2 cup whipping cream - optional
2/3 cup sour cream
1/2 cup apple cider
small bunch fresh chives
Directions
This recipe makes approximately 12 servings. I usually double it. Might as well since you are already doing all that peeling, chopping and dicing. I usually prepare the soup several days in advance. As it has become a family favorite, it is common to have several soupsnatchers steal a bowl or two before Turkey Day! I use a large (20 quart), heavy bottom stock pot. Of course, if you are not doubling the recipe, 12 qt. will suffice. Also, you can eliminate the tedious process of transferring the softened cooked ingredients in and out of a traditional blender/food processor if you use a immersible hand blender. This saves lots of time. If you don't own one of these gizmos, buy one, they're inexpensive and great!
Place the stock pot on a medium high burner, malt the butter and add the squash, carrots, celery and leeks. Sauté the vegetables for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they start to soften. Next add the sage, thyme, chicken stock, apple cider and apples. Raise the heat to high and bring to a boil. As the liquid begins to boil, lower the heat to a gentle simmer and cover. Stir the pot occasionally and simmer for 45 minutes. Shut the heat off after 45 minutes and allow to cool for about an hour.
Use the immersible hand blender to puree the soup. Place the hand blender close to the bottom of the pot and slowly stir the contents with the engaged hand blender. I usually hand blender the mixture for 4 to 5 minutes to insure it is well pureed. If you are using a blender or food processor to puree, you will have to transfer the soup in batches to puree. Reheat the soup when you are ready to serve. If you choose to incorporate the whipping cream, whisk it into the soup at this time.
Prepare a sour cream and apple cider drizzle in advance. Reduce the 1/2 cup of cider to 1/4 cup cider reduction. Cool. Let the sour cream warm to room temp and whisk in the apple cider reduction. After you have ladled the soup into soup bowls, drizzle in a tablespoon of the sour cream mixture and sprinkle a small amount of fresh, chopped chives.
(Editor’s note: this is not my soup pictured above. My family ate it all too quickly!)
