Serves 2–4
Fresh vegetable soups are easy to make and comforting during winter. One of our favorites is made with zapallo loche, a squash from the northern coast of Peru that is used in many traditional dishes. If you can’t find this ingredient, however, any type of squash will do.
2 tablespoons olive oil or butter
½ cup red onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 peeled and cubed buttercup squash (or the equivalent zapallo loche, if you find it)
1 peeled and cubed sweet potato
½ sprig thyme, or any herb you wish to add
Salt and pepper
6 cups water or vegetable stock
Grated or shaved Parmesan cheese to garnish (optional)
For the croutons:
1 garlic clove
3 slices of bread
2 tablespoons olive oil
1. Heat the olive oil or butter in a large pan over medium/high heat. Sauté the onion and garlic, stirring constantly until lightly golden.
2. Add the squash, sweet potato, and herbs; season with salt and pepper, and stir well.
3. Add the water or stock, put the lid on, and simmer for 20 minutes or until the vegetables are tender. Turn off the heat, remove the lid, and let cool to lukewarm.
4. In the meantime, cut the garlic in half and rub the bread with it. Then cut the bread in cubes, and drizzle with olive oil. Broil for 5 minutes or until golden and crispy.
5. Process the soup in small batches in the blender, until creamy. Make sure it’s not too hot when you do this because it might splash, and you could burn yourself. Put the soup back in the saucepan and taste for seasoning. You may use an immersion blender if you have one.
6. Serve the soup very hot with a few croutons on top, some fresh herbs, and a sprinkle of grated Parmesan cheese.
Regular potatoes are traditionally used for this soup, but we like to add sweet potatoes instead for their sweetness and intense color.