Soups & Sauces › Calabaza Squash Soup

• 1 small calabaza squash (1-1/2 lbs), peeled and cubed
• 1 onion, julienne cut and caramelized
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 8 cups of chicken stock
• 1/2 cup of heavy cream
• 5-6 sage leaves
• extra virgin olive oil
• 1/8 cup butter
• salt & pepper to taste
• crispy amaretto cookies, crushed
• sugar

1. Cut calabaza squash into 1-inch chunks
2. In a large pot add extra virgin olive oil, garlic and caramelized onions (see Caramelized Onions instructions below)
3. Add the calabaza and toss until golden brown
4. Add 8 cups of chicken stock or enough to cover the calabaza. Bring to a simmer and cook until calabaza is tender
5. Remove from fire and carefully place in a blender or use a hand-held mixer, and puree
6. Return blended calabaza to the pot, add heavy cream. Stir and season with salt & pepper
7. Garnish with crispy crumbled amaretto cookies and fried sage (see Fried Sage instructions below)

Fried Sage

1. Put 1/4" of oil in a pan
2. Fry sage leaves until crisp, about 1-2 minutes
3. Remove with slotted spoon to cutting board or plate

Caramelized Onions

1. To caramelize an onion, we used 1 medium onion, 3 tablespoons cooking oil or butter, a pinch of salt, a pinch of black pepper (optional), and a pinch of sugar (optional)
2. Slice the top off of your onion. Cut the onion in half from top to bottom and peel it
3. Place half of the onion, flat side down, on a clean, flat cutting surface. Slice the onion into half-rings. The thickness of the slices is not important, although thinner slices will cook faster. If you prefer a more rustic look and feel, make the slices very thick
4. Place a large skillet or saucepan on the stove and add a small amount of fat. Heat the oil to a medium-high temperature
5. We used 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Butter is also delicious, but it tends to burn more easily, so be sure the pan doesn't get too hot
6. When the fat begins to ripple, the oil is hot enough
7. Add the onions to the hot oil
8. Stir the onions until they are coated with oil
9. Adding a pinch of salt seasons the onions at the same time it speeds up the caramelizing process. The salt will suck moisture out of the onions and eventually evaporate. Be cautious not to add too much salt. If you would like, add a pinch of ground black pepper and a very small amount of sugar
10. Continue to stir the onions. After a minute or so, you will notice that they might have begun to stick to the bottom of the pan and turn dark in color. This is okay--in fact, it's what should happen
11. Continue stirring and watch as the onions' color turns darker and darker
12. If you feel that the onions are sticking to the bottom of the pan too much, add a very small amount of water, broth, or wine to the pan and stir vigorously; this is called "deglazing." The water will evaporate almost immediately while loosening the onion slices
13. Continue this process of cooking and deglazing until the onions have reached the color, flavor, and texture you desire

Note: Caramelized onions are perfect to use as the flavor-base of an onion soup, or to garnish sandwiches and other dishes