Yellow Squash and Cilantro Soup

Greeting from thirty-thousand feet above you.

These days the only down time I have seems to be floating above the clouds to some distant city. I’ll pop in, sell some clothes like a trained monkey, and fly back home for a quick recharge and laundry.

Don’t feel too sorry for me. I do manage to slip in a trip for pleasure every now and again.

Regardless of the reason, somehow I’ve found myself in a constant state of packing and unpacking.

With all that time in silence on airplanes coupled with some deep conversations with family and good friends, my priorities have really started to come into focus.

Gone are the days when I could do it all. Goodbye days when I could be the perfect friend, sister, daughter, girlfriend, community member. Farewell making it to all the pivotal events that are important to those important to me.

Reality has set in and the time has to come to really figure out what is important to me and MY life.

Lucky for all of our taste buds, cooking is at the top of the short list. It is actually up at the tip top with spending time with immediate family, best friends, Wesley and my cat.

Basically, it is refocus time. Twenty-eight is fast approaching and there is no better time than now to go after what I really want.

So I’m finally starting to work on recipes for my future little eatery. It may be a bit of time until it’s all ready to go. Ya know, cause I need to find a large sum of money, a space, permits, partners. All that jazz.

But in the mean time, menu testing has commenced.

This is for sure the first winner and potentially a summer seasonal menu item.

You be the judge.

You will need…

2 lbs yellow summer squash, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 tablespoons butter

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 large sweet yellow onion, diced

2 tablespoons cilantro, roughly chopped plus extra 2 tablespoons for garnish

32 ounces chicken stock (4 cups)

Salt and pepper to taste

Start by heating the butter and oil in a large pot.

When the butter has melted, add in the onions and sauté until translucent. About 5 minutes.

Toss in the garlic and cook until fragrant. About 1 minute. Season well with salt and pepper.

Add in the squash and cilantro and stir until the mixture is combined well. Continue to cook for another 2 to 3 minutes.

Pour in the stock and bring the soup to a boil. As soon as it boils, reduce the soup to a simmer and continue to cook for 20 minutes. Season well with salt and pepper.

Remove the soup from the heat and use a food processor or hand emersion blender to puree the soup. Puree until very smooth.

Serve hot topped with a sprinkle of cilantro and your favorite crusty bread.

Love and Beer Floats

Angela

Yellow Squash and Cilantro Soup

2 lbs yellow summer squash, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 tablespoons butter

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 large sweet yellow onion, diced

2 tablespoons cilantro, roughly chopped plus extra 2 tablespoons for garnish

32 ounces chicken stock (4 cups)

Salt and pepper to taste

Start by heating the butter and oil in a large pot.

When the butter has melted, add in the onions and sauté until translucent. About 5 minutes.

Toss in the garlic and cook until fragrant. About 1 minute. Season well with salt and pepper.

Add in the squash and cilantro and stir until the mixture is combined well. Continue to cook for another 2 to 3 minutes.

Pour in the stock and bring the soup to a boil. As soon as it boils, reduce the soup to a simmer and continue to cook for 20 minutes. Season well with salt and pepper.

Remove the soup from the heat and use a food processor or hand emersion blender to puree the soup. Puree until very smooth.

Serve hot topped with a sprinkle of cilantro and your favorite crusty bread.