Butternut Squash Soup - Afghan Style - with the Hashimi

This was prepared on October 11, 2021, as part of KindSoups efforts to deliver food to those in need.  Each week for the past year, we've been cooking together, making enough soup for our own family’s dinner, plus enough to freeze and deliver meals for 6 families affected by COVID19 and the resulting economic stress. More recently we've been sharing with those who have been relocated to our area from Afghanistan, so that they too can enjoy a delicious and nutritious meal!

Dr. Nadia Hashimi is a pediatrician, novelist, and a former Democratic congressional candidate for the United States House of Representatives for Maryland’s 6th congressional district!  Hashimi is the author of three international bestselling novels, The Pearl that Broke Its Shell, When the Moon Is Low, and A House Without Windows.  She and her dad, Said Hashimi, led us in conversation and instruction, for a delightful session this week.

 

Said Hashimi left Kabul, Afghanistan in 1971 and landed in New York City to begin his American Dream. He has built his American dream around food, and spent the last three decades of his official working career as the co-owner of an Italian Deli in Warwick, NY. He built bridges with people in the community and the Afghan cuisine he introduced into the weekly lunch special rotation quickly became a hit. Among his kitchen specialities were a rotation of soups for the fall and winter seasons. These days, he spends his time being a best friend, chaperone, and chef to his 6 grandchildren and volunteering with newly arrived Afghans.

BUTTERNUT SQUASH SOUP –  AFGHAN STYLE

INGREDIENTS: 

• 3 Large Butternut Squash peeled and cut in small cubes (I cheat and buy it pre-cut)
• 4 Large Carrots Pealed and cut in small cubes (add or sub sweet potato)
• 2 Large Onion cut in small cubes
• 6 Cloves of Garlic peeled and chopped
• 1 Bunch of Cilantro washed and chopped
• 2 Teaspoons of salt
• 2 Teaspoons of white pepper
• 1 Tablespoon of Curry powder or Ground Turmeric
• 2 Tablespoon of powdered Vegetable Base or 1 bouillon cube dissolved in a small amount of water (I use vegetarian Better Than Bouillion)
• 3/4 Cup of Vegetable oil
• 2 Quart of boiling Water
• One small spoon of sour cream for each serving of the soup

DIRECTIONS:

1- Heat oil in a 10 Quart Pot.

2- Add onions to hot oil and stir until they are almost brown.

3 – Add garlic and stir for one minute at medium temperature.

4- Add the salt and stir for one minute.

5- Add the cubed butternut squash and carrots in the pot and stir for around 5 minutes. Add Curry powder (or Turmeric), Vegetable Base, white pepper, and most of the chopped cilantro. Stir for few more minutes.

6- Add two quarts of boiling water to the pot or enough to just cover all the vegetables. Stir it and cover the pot. Cook on medium heat and stir once in a while until the squash and carrots are soft enough to be cut by a fork or spoon,  then turn off the heat.

7- Now it is time to pour it in the blender in batches, pouring the blended portions into a separate pot. Repeat until the full pot has been blended.  Some blenders don't tolerate hot liquids, so you may need to let it cool.  Leave plenty of room at the top of your blender container, and you can remove the center part of the lid and cover with a clean dish cloth. 

8 – It’s ready to serve in a bowl. Consider adding a small spoon of sour cream mixed with mashed garlic and garnish with touch of cilantro. Enjoy!