This soup, adapted from this recipe, was great on a cold evening: a variety of mushrooms, a bit of pasta, and chunks of acorn squash swim in a delicious, rich, mushroom-y broth. A very simple recipe with a fantastic result — it’s definitely going into our keepers list.

Chris says:

Holy — this is one of the best broths we’ve had in a long time.

Lisa says:

Yeah, it has a really strong mushroom flavor from soaking the dried porcinis.

Chris says:

Mmmmmm… really good.

Lisa says:

I’m totally going to make this again; next time I’m also going to add carrots.

Chris says:

Sounds great; sign me up!

Acorn Squash and Wild Mushroom Soup
5 cups hot organic vegetable or chicken broth
1/2 ounce dried porcini or morel mushrooms
1/2 cup peeled and finely diced acorn squash
1 bay leaf
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup sliced red onion
1/2 lb assorted wild mushrooms, tough stems removed, sliced
1/2 cup small pasta
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
2 tbsp cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
1/4 cup grated Parmesan

Pour 1 cup hot stock over mushrooms in a small bowl; let sit 20 minutes. Strain through a coffee filter or paper towel. Add mushroom broth to stock. Rinse mushrooms and dice; set aside.
Add squash to stock in a large pot with bay leaf and bring to a boil; lower heat and continue simmering. Meanwhile, heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Sauté onions 5 to 8 minutes, until soft. Add mushrooms and sauté until soft and lightly browned, about 10 minutes, adding a little broth if they become too dry. Transfer to broth along with pasta. Cook 5 to 8 minutes, until pasta is cooked and squash is tender. Season to taste with salt and pepper and stir in parsley. Ladle soup into bowls and top with Parmesan.

2-3 Servings