Acorn Squash, Pear And Azuki Soup With Sauteed Shiitakes

Total Time: 1 hr 10 mins Preparation Time: 25 mins Cook Time: 45 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 6
• 2 tablespoons peanut oil
• 1 large yellow onion, cut into short 1/4 inch thin slices
• 1 red pepper, cut into short 1/4 inch thin slices
• 2 teaspoons minced ginger
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon chinese five spice powder
• 2 acorn squash, seeded and peeled and cut into 3/4 inch chunks
• 2 firm bartlett pears, peeled, seeds removed and sliced into thin (not paper thin)
• 4 cups vegetable broth
• 15 ounces azuki beans, drained and rinsed (about a cup and a half)
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
• 4 ounces fresh shiitake mushrooms, sliced in half (about a cup and a half)
• 2 teaspoons peanut oil
• 1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce

Recipe

• 1 preheat a large stock pot over medium heat. add the oil and sauté the onions and peppers for about 10 minutes, or until onions just begin to brown.
• 2 add the ginger and garlic and sauté a minute more. add the salt, chinese five spice, acorn squash and pear and cook for another minute, stirring often. add the vegetable broth. cover and bring to a boil. once boiling, lower the heat just a bit to simmer briskly for about 20 more minutes, or until the squash is tender.
• 3 puree half the soup using either an immersion blender or by transferring half the soup to a food processor or blender and then back into the rest of the soup (don’t forget to let the soup cool a bit so that the steam does not compress in the processor and kill you).
• 4 add the azuki beans and lime. cover and simmer on low, just until the beans are heated through. meanwhile prepare the mushrooms.
• 5 preheat a heavy bottomed skillet over medium high heat. add the oils and sauté the mushrooms for about 7 minutes, until they are soft. add the soy sauce and stir constantly until the soy sauce is absorbed (about 1 minute).
• 6 ladle soup into bowls and top with sautéed mushrooms.