Butternut Squash, Corn & Lemongrass Soup

Several years ago I gave into a checkout line impulse and bought the holiday edition of Gourmet magazine.  Over the years it has been a trusty companion.  Salads, desserts, soups, appetizers, meats, sauces, planning tips....it never lets me down and has made many appearances at gatherings across the seasons.  This soup is in that magazine.  It was supposed to be for J's family's visit this weekend but due to last minute plan changes it ended up being for the three of us plus a friend.  And it was perfect.  Easy to make, basic and minimal ingredients, a pop of flavor, inexpensive, and even my 3 year old liked it!  I'm not normally a big squash fan but last year I made an amazing butternut squash soup (click here) for a big party and got hooked on roasting & freezing (in Ziploc bags) butternut squash to pull out later (even weeks later) for last minute soup or just a dinner dish.  Stir a little brown sugar & cinnamon in and you've got a holiday meal on a random rainy Thursday.  The below soup is even simpler than the one I made last year and takes less flavor tweaking.  Here you go:

Saute in a large pot over medium heat for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onion is softened & maybe starting to caramelize:

• 2 T unsalted butter
• 2 T olive oil
• 1 t salt
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 6" fresh lemongrass stalk (see note below)

Add to the pot & bring to a boil:

• 5 c water
• 2 1/2 c frozen corn kernels
• Butternut squash (see note below)

Season with salt & pepper as needed.  Serve hot (there's very little fat so it looses heat quickly) and garnish with fresh chopped cilantro.

Lemongrass notes:

If you buy a full stalk, trim the end leaving about 6" stalk, and discard 1 or 2 outer layers.  OR buy it pre-trimmed at the grocery store in the pre-packaged refrigerated herb area.  Either way, just whack the stalk with the back/dull edge of a knife to split open a bit & throw whole stalk in the pot & remove before serving.

Squash notes:

The recipe calls for 4 cups of raw, cubed squash.  You throw it in the pot with the corn & water & boil for about 10-20 minutes til it's tender then puree.  You can buy pre-cubed squash at the store (about 2 lbs for 4 cups cubed).  If you buy a whole one to cut into cubes and boil use a peeler to remove the exterior, then slice into rounds & remove seeds/strings.

BUT:  I prefer starting with roasted squash because it reduces steam in my kitchen, requires no puree-ing (unless you want it velvety smooth) plus it's easier for me....I set a timer & forget about it while we do laundry.  Or whatever.  I bought a 5 lb squash, cut it in half lengthwise, scooped out the seeds/strings, set it on a foil-covered cookie sheet (and set foil on top to catch steam), and roasted it at 425 for about an hour.  Then I scooped out the roasted flesh & had about 5 cups.  I used all of it even though it was more than the recipe called for.