Put some sun in your bowl with this orange winter potage
Squash, the winter queen, is often in our plates at this time of the year. Pumpkin and butternut squash are the varieties easiest to find in my neighbourhood, so I buy them most often. It also happens that they are both bursting with nutrients that they pour in this orange winter potage:)
Butternut Squash is rich with vitamin A, one of the most versatile of vitamins. It helps the growth of bones and teeth, maintains the health of the skin and favours good sight. It is also full of beta-carotene and beta-kryptoxanthin, the pro-vitamins A and antioxidants that fight free radicals, the molecules responsible for cell aging. The beta-carotene improves some functions of our immune system too.
Pumpkin is also bursting with beta-carotene (pro-vitamin A), vitamin C, amino-acids and fibre. As opposed to butternut squash, pumpkin has a thin skin, so you do not need to peel it before cooking. If you buy it organic of course.
In this potage I mix them with other little orange coloured wonders, like carrot, sweet potato and orange. The result is smooth and creamy, slightly sweet and morale boosting like the sun on a winter’s day 🙂
Servings: 8. Total time: 1h15 (preparation 15 min, cooking 1h)
INGREDIENTS (organic and in order of use)
3 tablespoons of Olive oil
1 Onion (medium)
2 Garlic cloves (medium)
3-4 g of fresh Ginger
1 level tablespoon of Turmeric
1 level teaspoon of Thyme
3-4 pinches of coarse unrefined salt
1 Butternut Squash (medium-large) or 1 Pumpkin (small-medium)
2 Carrots (medium)
1 Sweet Potato (small-medium)
2-3 cooked Chestnuts or a small handful of croutons (per serving)
1 slice of Orange or some orange zest (grated directly in the bowl)
PREPARATION
- Peel, wash and coarsely chop the onion, garlic and ginger. Stir them together with olive oil, salt, turmeric and thyme in a potage casserole dish for 10 minutes at a medium temperature (they should not burn, only get softer).
- While they are cooking, peel and wash sweet potato and butternut squash, wash carrots (no need to peel the pumpkin or the carrots if they are organic). Cut them into large chunks, then add them to the casserole dish and cover with water (the water should only cover the vegetables, not drown them completely). Put a lid on the casserole dish and cook the vegetables for about 1 hour.
- Poke them with a fork to check if they are ready, they should be soft when done. I usually use pressure cooker, it reduces the cooking time and helps preserve the vitamins better.
- Take the casserole dish off the stove and mix everything with a hand blender. Let it cool for a bit and then serve with a slice of orange or some orange zest (grated directly in the bowl) and 2-3 cooked coarsely crumbled chestnuts. Taste and visual effect guaranteed 😉
