Vita-Mix Adventures with Squash Soup

Warren recently splurged and bought a super-duper, heavy-duty, high-powered blender called a Vita-Mix(but what better place to spend your money than in the kitchen?). It juices, chops, and even heats up enough to cook soups if you need it to.

We tried out a Vita-Mix apple-squash soup recipe we found online. While this was useful for learning to use the machine, we ultimately decided we liked our version(s) of winter squash soup much better.

So here is one of our favorite pumpkin/winter squash recipes—which you can whip up with or without a Vita-Mix.

Curry Favor Winter Squash Soup
(Makes 2 Servings)


Ingredients
10 to 12 ounces winter squash (the kind with the rind), such as kabocha pumpkin (technically a winter squash) or butternut squash (about 2 cups when cubed)
2 - 2 ½ cups vegetable or chicken stock (preferably homemade)
1 tablespoons vegetable oil, such as olive or canola
1 small onion, diced
1 to 2 teaspoons curry powder
A pinch salt
A pinch pepper

Directions
1. Chop the winter squash pieces into 1-inch cubes, seeded and peeled. Since some winter squash/pumpkins are quite tough, you might need a sharp knife. (If you are having trouble, try chopping the squash in two, seeding it, then cutting it into wedges before peeling. One trick is to put the whole vegetable in the microwave briefly (say 1 minute) to soften before cutting it.)

2. Place the cubes in a steamer and cook until tender, 5 – 10 minutes.

3. Heat the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and curry powder. Cook until the onions are translucent (about 5 minutes). Set aside.

4. Place broth, cooked squash, onion-curry powder mix, salt, and pepper and blend using a food processor or hand blender, in batches if need be. If you are using a Vita-Mix, insert the ingredients into the machine and secure the lid. Select Variable 1. Turn machine on and quickly increase speed to Variable 10, then to High. Blend for about 30 seconds.

5. Add salt and pepper to taste, then serve.
 

Especially Good For
Traditional Chinese medical practitioners consider this dish especially good for people with diabetes, arthritis, or other inflammatory condition, muscle stiffness and pain, a tendency to run cold, or fibromyalgia. In the language of traditional Chinese medicine, this dish addresses Spleen deficiency, Damp painful obstruction, and blockage of channels.