1leekcleaned and coarsely chopped, white part only
1stalk celerycleaned and coarsely chopped
1yellow onionskinned and coarsely chopped
1cloveelephant garliccoarsely chopped
2cupsof chicken stock
2cupsof roasted kabocha squash
1/2cupof dry-roastedunsalted cashews
1tablespoonfresh thyme
Sea salt and white pepper to taste
Instructions
To roast Kabocha squash:
Preheat oven to 350°F (176°C).
Line a lipped baking pan with aluminum foil. Remove the stem from the squash, cut in half, and remove the seeds. Rub the inside of the squash with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and bake it for one hour (or until softened). Take it out of the oven, let it cool for a few minutes, then scoop the flesh out with a large spoon and discard the skin.
For the Soup:
Heat a stainless steel frying pan. Add to this 1 tablespoon of olive oil and the butter. Heat over medium-low until the butter melts and the mixture shimmers.
Add to this the garlic, onion, celery, and leek, sautéing until the mixture begins to soften.
Continue to sauté until the mixture has caramelized, about 15 minutes total.
Add the chicken stock, thyme, cashews, roasted Kabocha squash, and sautéed onion and leek mixture to your blender jar.
For Vitamix: Secure the lid on the container. Start the machine on Variable Speed 1, slowly increase to Speed 10/High, and blend for six minutes OR use the SOUP Setting.
For BLENDTEC: Secure the lid and select the SOUP cycle three times.
You should see steam escape from the lid.
Salt and pepper to taste; if necessary, pulse in the seasonings.
All done! Enjoy!! Now take a photo, rate it, and share your accomplishments! :) Tag @BlenderBabes & #BlenderBabes