Turkish Turban Squash Soup

Squash or cooking pumpkin, quartered and seeded (do not peel). Seeds can be roasted and eaten or saved for planting.

2-3 oranges, juice of only

1 sweet onion, large rough chop

2-3 sweet apples, cored and peeled

-1 to 3 fresh habanero chilis, optional

~32 oz. stock, organic chicken or vegetable

~1″ to 4″ fresh ginger root, grated, to taste

~1″ fresh Turmeric root, grated

~2 – 4, garlic cloves to taste, minced

salt and pepper to taste

bay leaf

1-2 tbsp. coconut oil

fine olive oil, for drizzling

Optional: herbs of choice (whatever you like. I use herbs du Provence the squash while baking), or curry if you want that flavor.

Quarter and seed the squash, rub the inside flesh with olive oil, salt, pepper and herbs. Bake at 350 for 45-60 minutes, until fork tender. Remove from oven, and let cool.

Add oil to stock pot on medium heat, sauté the onion until translucent, add apples, and ginger.  Once the apples begin to soften, add the garlic and turmeric and cook for only 2 more minutes. (don’t over cook the garlic).

Add stock, juice of oranges, and bay leaf to stock pot.

Remove the flesh from squash with spoon or fingers, leaving behind the skin, add to stock pot. Add enough water to submerge everything in the pot. Cook on medium heat for about 20-30 minutes until all veggies are soft and the flavors marry.

Remove bay leaf (very important), save.

Using an immersion blender puree the soup. You can also blend in batches using a traditional blender. If using blender be careful and do it in small batches because the hot soup will expand in the blender and can explode out. Return bay leaf to the soup and simmer. Add more salt and pepper if needed.  Drizzle fine olive oil on top of each serving bowl.

You can also use the above recipe for carrot or butternut squash soup in place of the Turkish Turban.