Recipe: Butternut Squash Soup with Coriander + Lemon

From cookbook author and New York Times reporter Melissa Clark: 

"If you have an immersion blender, you can blend this creamy, gently sweet soup directly in your pressure cooker, which makes it extremely convenient. 

"I like to finish it with lemon juice and zest, which echoes the lemony-earthy flavor of the coriander. 

"But lime is a bit sharper and a little more floral, and you can easily substitute one citrus for the other.

"And if you're a rutabaga or parsnip fan, you can swap out those peeled and diced roots, either alone or in combination, for the squash."

    
Butternut Squash Soup with Coriander + Lemon
Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
Yield: 4 to 6 servings

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for serving
2 cups thinly sliced fennel (reserve the fronds for garnish)
1 medium onion, diced
½ teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
1 butternut squash (about 2 pounds), peeled, seeded, and cut into 1-inch cubes
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1 quart vegetable or chicken stock, preferably homemade
Finely grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Directions:

COOK IT SLOW

Cook on high for 2 to 3 hours or low for 4 to 5 hours.

1. Using the sauté function, heat the oil in the pressure cooker. Add the fennel, onion, and salt, and cook until the vegetables have just softened, 5 minutes. Add the squash and coriander and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are starting to turn golden at the edges, 7 to 10 minutes.

2. Add the stock, cover, and cook on high pressure for 20 minutes. Let the pressure release naturally.

3. Using an immersion blender directly in the pot or transferring the soup to a blender, puree the soup with the lemon zest until smooth. Season with salt, pepper, and lemon juice to taste. Serve garnished with the fennel fronds, cilantro, and a drizzle of olive oil.

     
For more info:

• "Dinner in an Instant: 75 Modern Recipes for Your Pressure Cooker, Multicooker, and Instant Pot" by Melissa Clark (Clarkson Potter), in Hardiver and eBook formats. Available via Amazon
  
• melissaclark.net
  

      
For more food suggestions check out our 2017 "Food Issue" recipe index!