I love vegetables. But I love them best when they’re pureed into a sumptuous broth, served up in a beautiful bowl, and slurped up like a cat with cream - well, not quite, I’ll use a spoon. 

I came by my love for soup after I left home. Contrary to other farmwives, although mom would have rather skipped vacuuming for a day than buy a frozen pie crust, Campbell’s was her go-to every Sunday lunch. I don’t blame her - hers was a 21-hot-meal-a-week job. Those over-salted soups, however, diluted as they were from concentrate, were not a way to develop my young palate.  

I bought my first soup-pot in my 30s and was at the apex of my soup-making life five years ago when I catered a wedding for my step-daughter, Alexa.  Sixty-five people sampled two soups from crockpots set up in my backyard, with the main course served from my basement bar. The first, Woodsy Wild Mushroom Soup, is a recipe from the recipe book published by Rebar Modern Food in Victoria BC.  It’s a mix of dried and farmed mushrooms, and is always a hit. And I love it.  

The second, curried squash with coconut milk, is out of my head, and to be honest, while it’s always been a hit with others - including Alexa who requested it at her wedding - it’s typically fallen a little flat for me. Until the last time I made it.  I think it’s the celeriac, which was the newcomer to the vegetable mix.  So let me share it. 

Curried Squash Soup (serves 6-8)

Ingredients:

• 2 small acorn squashes cut in half and de-seeded 

• 1 garlic bulb whole, with top cut off 

• 1 carrot, chopped 

• 1/2 celeriac, peeled and chopped 

• 1 tablespoon + 2 tablespoons olive oil

• salt and pepper 

• 1 medium cooking onion, diced

• 2 teaspoons each: garam masala, ground coriander

• 1 teaspoon each: chili powder, cumin seeds, salt 

• 3 whole cardamom seeds 

• 3 black peppercorns 

• 6 cups vegetable stock (I buy it in a tetra pack) 

• 2 tablespoons of tomato paste (I buy it in a tube so it’s always in my fridge)

• 1 can coconut milk

• chopped cilantro (optional)

Lay squash, garlic, carrot, and celeriac in a single layer in a baking dish, drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil, season with salt and pepper, roast in a 400 degree F oven for 40 minutes or until a fork slides through the vegetables.  Remove squash flesh from skin. Squeeze cooked garlic from garlic clove skins. Discard squash and garlic skins. 

Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a soup pot over medium heat. Add diced onion and sauté until it’s becoming transparent. 

Add garam masala, ground coriander, chili powder, cumin seeds, salt, cardamom seeds. and black peppercorns. Stir for a couple of minutes, being careful not to burn the spices. 

Add the roasted vegetables, vegetable stock, and tomato paste.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes.

Add coconut milk. Fill the can with water and add that too. Bring back to a simmer. 

Remove cardamoms (they will float to the top) and then blend so it’s smooth using an immersion blender. A countertop blender will work too. Immersion blenders make soup-making so easy though!  Add water if it’s too thick for you.

Serve hot (or cold!). 

Chop cilantro for people to add at the table.

PS. This is the soup I served Barbara Caplan at our last meal together before she died. She took home leftovers and I really hope she enjoyed it as she had enjoyed it in my house.

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