Squash, Bean and Corn Soup
Squash, Bean, and Corn Soup
This soup uses the three most common food ingredients in the Americas, squash, beans, and corn. It would probably be recognizable by anyone south of the Rio Grande river and largely unknown to anyone to the north. While at its core it is one of the most basic recipes, it is also a very satisfying and healthy meal.
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups of butternut squash, or other sweet squash, peeled, seeded and cut into 1/2 inch chunks
1 small red onion, in small dice
1 stalk celery, in medium dice
1 carrot, in medium dice
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 canned chipotle peppers, mined
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1, 15 oz can diced tomatoes, with juice
1 quart chicken stock or vegetable broth
1, 15 oz can white beans, cannellini, great northern, or similar
1 cup corn kernels, fresh or frozen
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1 lime cut into wedges
Optional
1/2 cup sour cream
1 ripe avocado cut into 1/2 inch cubes
Heat the oil in a deep soup pot over medium high heat. Add the squash and saute stirring occasionally for 5 to 7 minutes. The squash is ready when the sugars start to caramelize.
Add the onion, celery, and carrot and saute for an additional 5 minutes reducing the heat to medium.
Add the garlic, the chipotles, and the cumin. Heat until the cumin is fragrant, about 2 minutes.
Add the tomatoes and the chicken broth. Bring the mixture to a simmer, and reduce the heat to keep the liquid simmering for 30 minutes.
Add the beans, the corn and the cilantro and heat through for about 5 more minutes.
Combine the sour cream with a squeeze of lemon juice from one or two wedges. Whisk to blend.
Soup with the Extra Garnish
Ladle the soup into bowls and top with the sour cream, the avocado, and finish with a squeeze of lime.