Spiced Butternut Squash Soup With Crab And Herb Oil Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°. Halve squash; discard seeds. Place squash in a 15x10x1-in. pan coated with cooking spray, cut side down. Bake until tender, 40-50 minutes. Cool slightly; scoop out pulp., In a 6-qt. stockpot, heat butter and oil over medium heat; saute onions until tender, about 5 minutes. Add brown sugar, ginger, garlic and cinnamon sticks; cook and stir 2 minutes. Stir in salt, squash, broth and water; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, covered, 10 minutes., Discard cinnamon. Puree soup using an immersion blender. Or, cool slightly and puree soup in batches in a blender; return to pan. If desired, thin with additional water or broth; heat through. Serve with parsley. Freeze option: Freeze cooled soup in freezer containers. To use, partially thaw in refrigerator overnight. Heat through in a saucepan, stirring occasionally and adding a little broth or water if necessary.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Pour a thin layer of water in a baking dish, or a cookie sheet with sides. Place the squash halves cut side down on the dish. Bake for about 40 minutes, or until a fork can easily pierce the flesh. Cool slightly, then remove the peel. Set aside.
• Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, leek and garlic, and saute for a few minutes, until tender. Pour the chicken broth into the pot. Add the potatoes, and bring to a boil. Cook for about 20 minutes, or until soft. Add the squash, and mash with the potatoes until chunks are small. Use an immersible hand blender to puree the soup, or transfer to a blender or food processor in batches, and puree until smooth. Return to the pot.
• Season the soup with cayenne pepper, allspice, nutmeg, ginger, salt and pepper, then stir in the sherry and half-and-half cream. Heat through, but do not boil. Ladle into bowls, and top with a dollop of sour cream.

Steps:

• Toss the crab, 2 tablespoons herbs, half each of the lemon zest and juice, and salt and pepper to taste in a bowl; cover and refrigerate. Whisk the remaining lemon zest and juice with the olive oil in a separate bowl. Toss 1 tablespoon of the lemon oil with the bread cubes; season with salt and pepper. Heat 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the bread cubes until golden, about 7 minutes. Drain on paper towels.
• Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons butter in a pot over medium heat. Add the leeks and cook until wilted, about 5 minutes. Add the potatoes and fennel and cook, about 7 minutes. Stir in the wine, 2 teaspoons salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper; cook 2 more minutes. Add 5 cups water and 1/2 cup herbs. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce the heat to medium low and simmer until the vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes.
• Puree the soup in a blender in batches. Return to the pot, add the cream and simmer until thick, 5 to 10 minutes. Add the remaining 6 tablespoons herbs; season with salt and pepper. Ladle the soup into bowls and top with the crab, croutons and the remaining lemon oil.

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and golden, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic, tomatoes, and spices and cook until the cinnamon stick unfurls and the tomatoes are cooked down, about 3 minutes. Add the squash, chickpeas, broth, lemon zest, and raisins and bring to a simmer. Cook, partially covered, until the squash is fork tender, about 25 minutes. Stir in the spinach and cook until wilted, about 3 minutes. Add the lemon juice and season, to taste.
• Meanwhile, make the couscous. Bring the broth to a boil with the salt and pepper in a small saucepan. Stir in the couscous, pull the saucepan off the heat, cover, and set aside until the water has been absorbed and the couscous is plump, about 5 minutes.
• Fluff the couscous with a fork and mound it in 4 soup bowls. Spoon some butternut squash stew over each portion, top with almonds, and serve.