Summer Squash Soup with Salsa Verde

Summer Squash Soup with Salsa Verde

Serves 4 to 6

Sheryl forwarded this recipe to us - it's from Deborah Maddison's book - Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone. It's one of the best soups I've had in a long time - the Salsa Verde makes it!

2 tbl. olive oil or butter

1 ¼ lbs. Summer Squash

1 large onion, chopped

1 bunch scallions, including half the greens, chopped

2 tbl. raw white rice

½ cup chopped parsley

6 cups vegetable stock, or water

Salt and freshly milled pepper

Lemon juice

1/3 cup Salsa Verde

Heat the oil in a soup pot and add the squash and onion, and sauté over high heat until squash begins to color, then add scallions, rice and parsley. Add stock and 1 ½ tsp salt and bring to boil. Lower heat to simmer, partially covered, for 25 minutes. Let cool briefly, then puree. Taste for salt, season with pepper, and add lemon juice to taste. Finish the soup by swirling in the Salsa Verde or pesto.

Salsa Verde

2 shallots finely chopped

½ cup finely chopped parsley

1/3 cup chopped mixed herbs-- tarragon, chervil, thyme, marjoram, dill

2 to3 tbs capers, rinsed

Grated zest of 1 lemon

1 small clove of garlic, minced

¾ cup extra virgin olive oil

2 to 3 tsp of champagne vinegar or fresh lemon juice

1 hard cooked egg, optional

Salt and freshly milled pepper

Combine all ingredients except salt and pepper. Mash the yolk until smooth, adding a little of the sauce to thin it. Finely chop the white. Stir the yolk and white back into the sauce, season with salt and pepper, and adjust the amount of vinegar if needed.