The Soup That Eats Like a Salad - Squash Soup with Celery & Bok Choy

I was a little leery about this soup. After all, the only pumpkin/squash soups I have had in the past were pureed with a ton of cream added. Quite tasty, but also a little heavy on the calories. This recipe comes from the Feng Shui Food cookbook I recently found when perusing the volumes at the GoodWill (I find some pretty darned nifty cookbooks in there).

I have modified it slightly, for personal taste. The original recipe called for 2 tomatoes, diced to 1 cm, to be added at the end along with the Basil, Bok Choy and the Celery leaves. Since I cannot eat uncooked tomatoes I added them after I had fished out my bowl and taken my photos.

I shared this soup with my parents, and my mother stated that she felt the tomatoes overpowered everything else in the pot. So I have left them out of this blogged version completely. Feel free to add them in if you like. Oh, and I also chose spring onions (scallions) instead of a white onion or a shallot.... This was a personal preference because I was going to a "crisper" onion flavor.

Squash Soup with Celery and Bok Choy

1 TB Olive oil
1 bunch Scallions, Sliced - White and light green parts
3 Cloves garlic, Minced
2 stalks celery, diced (save the leaves)
1 small Fennel Bulb, diced
1 Liter Cold Water (this is about 4 1/2 cups)
300 g (10.5 oz) Butternut Squash, Diced in 2 cm cubes
1 TB Double Concentrated Tomato Paste (or Sun-Dried Tomato Paste)
Kosher Salt
White Pepper
1-2 Baby Bok Choy, Chopped
Small bunch of Basil, chiffonade
1 tsp Black Truffle oil

Chop the Celery and save the leaves, your gonna need then for finished the soup.

Heat the oil over medium flame in a stock pot then add Spring onion, Garlic, Celery and Fennel, sweating for about 3 - 4 minutes to release their vegetable goodness into the pot (DO NOT saute, this seals the flavors in)

Add the water and the diced Butternut Squash.

Bring to a boil, then add tomato paste and reduce heat and simmer for 15 - 20 minutes, until the Squash is tender.

Chop the Bok Choy.

Pick the leaves from the celery, removing the actual top stems.

Chiffonade the Basil, reserving a couple of bud tops for garnishing.

After 15-20 minutes, season with Kosher Salt and White pepper, then remove from the heat and stir in the Bok Choy, Basil and the Celery Leaves.

Drizzle with 1 tsp Black Truffle oil and enjoy a steaming bowl garnished with basil tops and a couple extra celery leaves.

This was an absolutely delicious soup! Light on calories with a delightfully "fresh" flavor. I cannot wait to make it again! Neither can my mother.... ;)

Mangia!!
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