Creamless Creamy Butternut Squash Soup

from The Gourmet Cookbook
adapted by Isabel Wade

serves 6

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 celery stalk, chopped
1 medium carrot, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 pound boiling potatoes
1 pound butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 teaspoons coarse sea salt
3 1/2 cups boiling water, may need more for thinning
1 crisp amaretto (Italian almond macaroon)

Heat oil in a 3-quart heavy saucepan over low heat. Add celery, carrot, and onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender but not browned, around 10 to 12 minutes. Meanwhile, peel potatoes and cut into 1/2-inch cubes.

Stir squash, potatoes, pepper flakes and sea salt into the onion mixture, then stir in boiling water. Simmer covered until vegetables are very tender, around 20 minutes.

Purée soup in batches in a blender, adding more water to thin to desired consistency. Serve soup drizzled with additional olive oil and sprinkled with amaretto crumbs.

During a recipe testing session at Tahoe, we ended up with an extra butternut squash. This is what I did with it, and everyone loved the results.