Buttermilk Summer Squash Soup with Cumin Brown Butter

September!

I made my Mac & Cheese with Brussels Sprouts & Ham for the Club Club Community Cookbook Launch & Epic Potluck, leaving me with some leftover buttermilk to use up. A quick search through my Reader picked up this Buttermilk Squash Soup recipe from 101 Cookbooks; one of two in Heidi's repertoire.

I chose this one because it seemed less labour intensive and required fewer ingredients. Because the cumin brown butter features so prominently in the dish, I decided to "splurge" on some whole cumin seeds from Silk Road Spice Merchants - it wasn't really a splurge at all, just $4.49 for the bottle, which was cheaper than I'd expected for an independent company that also imports such rare spices as tonka beans and grains of paradise.


    


Toasting and grinding my own cumin was so worth it - on top of the usual smoky flavour there were some floral notes that I'd never smelled before.

Making the brown butter was also a neat experience - I was so worried about burning the butter, but I just kept it on low heat and let it turn a golden brown, releasing its rich, nutty scent into the kitchen.

The original recipe calls for yellow zucchini, which I bought up at the Farmer's Market despite being more expensive! Green zucchini is fine too, but I somehow thought a yellow soup would match better with the cumin and the butter.


The zucchini is boiled with some sautéed garlic and onions for flavour, and a couple potatoes to thicken things up a little. Since the soup has such few ingredients, a good (preferably homemade) broth would really make it come to its own, but I used regular store-bought stuff and it turned out fine. Light and silky, with just a touch of tang from the buttermilk - yummy!


I served this with a few slices of sourdough that I made from my starter, Eugene. Since then, Eugene has been living in B.'s fridge... drying up a little :S Once I get a new oven perhaps I will try reviving him.

Buttermilk Summer Squash Soup with Cumin Brown Butter
Adapted from 101 Cookbooks
Makes 10 servings

• 1 tsp (5 mL) cumin seeds
  
• 7 tbsp (105 mL) unsalted butter, divided
  
• Sea salt
  
• 2 medium onions, chopped
  
• 2 cloves garlic
  
• 1 lb (454 g) potatoes, cut into ¼" cubes
  
• 2½ lb (1.1 kg) yellow zucchini, cut into ½" slices
  
• ~4 cups (1 L) vegetable stock
  
• 1 cup (250 mL) buttermilk
  
• 1 bunch chives, chopped

1. In a skillet, over medium heat, toast the cumin seeds until they are fragrant. Just a minute or two. Use a mortar and pestle to pound the seeds into a fine powder. Alternately, you can use an electric spice grinder. Set aside. In the same skillet, melt ¼ cup (4 tbsp/60 mL) of butter and cook until it's brown and gives off a deliciously nutty aroma. Remove from heat, stir the cumin into the butter along with a generous couple pinches of salt, then set aside in a warm place. You want the butter to stay liquid until you're ready to use it.
   
2. To make the soup, heat the remaining 3 tbsp (45 mL) of butter in your largest pot or stockpot over medium-high heat. Add the onions, garlic, and a bit of salt. Sauté for a few minutes, or until the onions start to get translucent. Stir in the potatoes and squash and cook for another 7-10 minutes, or until the squash starts to soften up. Stir in enough stock to just barely cover the vegetables. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook until the potatoes are tender, roughly 25 minutes. Remove the soup from heat, purée completely with a hand blender (or in batches in a blender or food processor), then stir in the buttermilk. If you need to thin the soup out with a bit more stock, you can do so. Taste and add more salt if needed. Serve each bowl topped with plenty of the cumin butter, and a sprinkling of chives.

Nutrition Info (per serving): 156 calories, 8 g fat (5 g saturated, 0 g trans), 22 mg cholesterol, 18 g carbohydrate (3 g fibre, 6 g sugar), 4 g protein, 454 mg sodium. An excellent source of vitamin C, vitamin K and potassium. A good source of folate (vitamin B₄), magnesium and manganese.