Vegetables Recipes - Squash, Corn and Bean Soup Recipe

Ingredients 

• 3 tablespoons olive oil

• 1 tablespoon paprika

• 2 red onions, minced

• 2 garlic cloves, minced

• 1 lb peeled and seeded squash or pumpkin (about 2 3/4 lb unpeeled), cut into 3/4 inch cubes

• 14 oz can of chopped tomatoes

• 3 cups chicken or vegetable stock

• 3 cups lightly cooked fresh shelling beans or 1 cup dried black beans) soaked) cooked until soft and drained

• salt and freshly ground black pepper

• 1 1/2 cups frozen corn kernels or the kernels from 2 large ears of corn

• 6 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

• sour cream, to serve (optional)

Serves 6

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Method:

1. Gently heat the oil with the paprika in a large saucepan. Add the onions, cover, and cook over moderate to low heat for 10 minutes.

2. Add the garlic, the squash, the tomatoes with their liquid, and 3/4 cup of the stock. Bring to a boil, then simmer gently with the lid slightly askew for 10-20 minutes, until the squash is just tender.

3. The cooking time will depend on the variety - if it is watery, it will soften up quite soon.

4. Puree 3-4 ladlefuls of the soup in a food processor, then return this to the soup remaining in the pan and cook for 5 minutes more.

5. When the squash is reasonably soft, add the beans and pour in the remaining stock. Season generously with salt and pepper and simmer for 15 minutes.

6. Add the corn and cilantro, and cook for another 5 minutes, until the corn is tender. Ladle into bowls and swirl in a spoonful of sour cream if you wish.

Note: Squash, corn, and beans form a kind of holy trinity in the cooking of Central America. The combination is uniquely satisfying and packed with nutrients. This recipe, adapted from one in Jane Grigson's Vegetable Book, is delicious served with corn tortillas or freshly made corn bread.