Cooking & Baking

Yellow Summer Squash Soup with Sage and Thyme



SERVES 4

Served hot or cold, this soup is the very essence of summer—from its
bright, sunny color to its light, fresh flavor. Its secret lies in the youth and
freshness of the main ingredient. Any variety of yellow summer squash will
do; just make sure that they are very young, small, and impeccably fresh,
with clear, taut skins and bright green stems.

1 pound yellow crookneck or yellow zucchini squash1 medium leek
1 large yellow onion, stem and roots trimmed, split lengthwise, peeled, and
thinly sliced
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup Chicken Broth (page 21), or ½ cup canned broth mixed with ½ cup
water, or use all water
1 Bouquet Garni (page 32), made with a sprig each of thyme, parsley, and
sage
Salt and whole white pepper in a mill
2 cups half-and-half
¼ cup heavy cream (optional)
4–5 fresh sage leaves, thinly sliced, or 1 tablespoon thinly sliced fresh
chives

1. Scrub the squash under cold running water to remove any grit and sand
that may be stuck to them. Trim off the blossom, and stem ends, and slice
crosswise into ½-inch rounds. Split the leek lengthwise and holding it root
end up, wash it well under running water, folding back the layers to remove
the grit and sand from between them. Remove but reserve the greens of the
leek and thinly slice the white part.

2. Put the leek, onion, and butter in a heavy-bottomed 3- to 4-quart pot over
medium-low heat. Sweat until they are softened but not browned, about 10
minutes. Add the squash and toss well.

3. Add the broth or water and bouquet garni, raise the heat to medium high,
and bring it to a boil. Add a pinch or so of salt (go easy on this if your broth
is already salted; you can correct the seasonings later), and a liberal
grinding of white pepper. Reduce the heat to medium low, cover, and
simmer until the vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes. Turn off the heat.

4. With a slotted spoon, take up about 1 cup of the solids and set them
aside. Remove and discard the bouquet garni. Puree the remainder of the
soup through a food mill, or in batches in a food processor or blender.
Return the puree to the pot. Thinly slice the inner light green leaves of the
leek. Roughly chop the reserved solids and add them with the leek to the
soup. Bring it back to a simmer over medium heat and simmer until the leek
greens are just tender, about 5 minutes. The soup can be made several days
in advance up to this point. If you’ve made it ahead or plan to serve it
chilled, pour it into a bowl set in a basin of ice water. Stir until cold, then
cover and refrigerate for up to four days.

5. To serve the soup hot, heat it gently over medium heat, stirring
occasionally to prevent scorching. Add the half-and-half and let it come
back to a simmer. Taste and correct the seasonings. Ladle the soup into
heated soup plates. Garnish with a drizzle of cream and a sprinkling of the
fresh sage or chives.

6. To serve the soup cold, stir the half-and-half into the chilled soup and
taste and correct the seasonings. Garnish as you would the hot soup, or
whip the cream until it forms soft peaks, put a dollop on each serving, and
sprinkle with the herbs and a grinding of white pepper.

Note: To make a meatless version of this soup, use water instead of broth
and add a small pinch of Curry Powder (page 28). Keep the curry accent
subtle; the idea isn’t to make it a curried soup, but to compensate for the
depth of flavor the chicken broth would have lent. Don’t omit the half-and-half
—the soup is lackluster without it, but don’t add it until you are ready to
serve.