I eat pumpkin all year round. I kid you not. I could eat pumpkin 365 days a year. Just ask my former co-workers who used to roll their eyes at me when I would make pumpkin soufflé in the office microwave for breakfast almost every morning.
When I was telling Michelle I was having a hard time finding canned pumpkin puree earlier this month she insisted I could make my own. And guess what? She was right!
Ever since devouring my first batch of homemade pumpkin puree no gourd has been safe! In fact, this weekend, with a little help from Rachel Ray Magazine, I made an amazing recipe using acorn squash. I wanted to share this recipe with you today because I thought about Michelle the entire time I was preparing this dish. Without Michelle’s coaching I would have been busting open a can of puree instead of busting open a relative of my beloved pumpkin.
This soup also reminds me of another conversation I had with Michelle who mentioned she was having a hard time finding good Mexican food in Australia. I don’t think you’ll find a soup exactly like this on any Mexican menu, but I think Mexican restaurants around the globe might reconsider if they had a batch of…
Fitness & Spicy Chili con Chili
- 1 large acorn squash (about 2 pounds), cut into quarters and seeded
- 3 dried red chilies
- Boiling water
- 1 t chili powder
- 3 poblano chilies
- 3 T extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 large onion, chopped
- One 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed
- 1 T chopped fresh oregano
- Salt and pepper
- 1/2 cup Sour Cream
Preheat the broiler. Microwave the squash on medium-high power until fork-tender, about 10 minutes; let cool slightly. Scoop out the flesh and transfer to a food processor; discard the skin.
In a bowl, soak the red chilies in just enough boiling water to cover until softened, about 15 minutes; drain. Discard the stems and seeds. Add the red chiles and the chili powder to the food processor; puree.
Place the poblano chiles on a baking sheet, and broil, turning occasionally, until charred all over. Transfer to a bowl, cover and let sit until cool enough to handle, about 10 minutes. Discard the stems and seeds, then chop.
In a saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium-heat. Add the onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the squash puree, poblanos, black beans, oregano, and 1 cup water. Bring to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes; season with salt and pepper. Stir in the sour cream.
I hope you’ll give this recipe a try. It just might squash your need to run to the border!
The Candid RD says:
October 31st 2009Great idea making your own! Maybe I’m just too lazy for that, as it took me an entire month to actually find some canned puree and I didn’t even think about making my own! Good for you. and, I plan on keeping pumpkin in my diet 365 too :)
carrie says:
October 31st 2009what is this pumpkin souffle you speak about?
Tami Boehmer says:
November 3rd 2009Your recipe made my mouth water. I love pumpkin and plan on making a sugar-free version with agave nectar to satisfy my holiday cravings. Thanks for sharing!
cheryl says:
November 14th 2009I love all the ingredients in this soup (Fitness and Spicy Chili Carne) so thought I’d go for it. Wow, was I wrong! It was actually passable until I dumped in the Greek yogurt which immediately curdled and made the soup look like something I threw up, rather than prepared intentionally. I tried straining it to smooth out the curdled yogurt. I tried pureeing the whole thing. Nothing worked. Basically just had to throw it away because no one would eat it. Did anyone else have this problem? That was a time consuming mistake. I think this is actually the first time I’ve ever made soup that was a total flop. I’m sorry…just keeping it real. I’m open to suggestions.
UPDATES:
cheryl says:
November 14th 2009
I did some research on the yogurt issue and discovered that it needs to be whole milkfat yogurt as the low-fat or non-fat kind has more whey. You might consider changing the recipe to reflect this very important piece of information so no one else experiences my frustration. By the way, I did use the greek yogurt.
cheryl says:
November 14th 2009
I did some additional “doctoring” to the curdled soup because I really liked the flavor. I essentially pureed the soup until curdles were blended, or at least less obvious. I put a little shake of smoked chipotle sauce and served with a dollop of sour cream and some tortilla strips. Turned out really good! Where there’s a will, there’s a way!
Joanna Sutter says:
November 14th 2009Cheryl, I am so sorry for the trouble you experienced with this recipe. As a result, I’ve updated this recipe recommending that it’s made with sour cream rather than Greek yogurt.