Tasty Tuesday - Squash Mushroom Soup

Curried Squash and Mushroom Soup...

adapted from Mollie Katzen's Moosewood Cookbook, one of my favorites! The adapted part is that I use the frozen squash, which makes this very easy to prepare. I bet you could make it with canned pumpkin, too. The original recipe called for squash to be baked and pureed. This is much easier.

2 boxes of frozen cooked winter squash
2 1/2 cups water or stock
1 cup orange juice
2 tablespoons margarine
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 medium clove garlic -- crushed
6 ounces mushrooms -- sliced
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon coriander
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
dash cayenne
fresh lemon juice -- optional
chopped toasted almonds -- for garnish

Defrost the puree. Combine in a kettle or saucepan with the orange juice and stock.
Heat the butter in a skillet and add the garlic, onion, salt and spices. Saute until the onion is very soft. (You may need to add a little water if it sticks.) Add mushrooms, cover, and cook 10 minutes. Add the saute to the squash, scraping the skillet well to salvage all the good stuff.
Heat everything together very gently.
Taste to correct seasoning.
You may want more cayenne or salt.
And, since this is a fairly sweet soup, you may want to spruce it up with some fresh-squeezed lemon juice.
Serve topped with yogurt and chopped, toasted almonds.
(Note, this soup need not be served immediately. It can simmer a while and the flavors will mature.)
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