Summer Squash and Roasted Red Pepper Soup

Last night my parents took me to Le Bernardin for dinner, so today my cooking spree made me feel a bit like an amateur. But, a dinner party and a house concert are on the horizon so cook I must. For the dinner party: Summer Squash and roasted red pepper soup (mostly squash little pepper), Elizabeth's potato pizza, and a Cosi classic salad. Thankfully, the weather in New York is no longer summer, so my soup won't be too out of place.


Before I give you the recipe for the soup, check out this cute feature of summer squash: when you cut them in half the inside is shaped like a heart. Isn't that sweet. Okay, now the recipe.

Soup Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 1/4 cups chopped onions
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 2 1/2-pound butternut squash, peeled, seeded, cut into 1-inch pieces
5 1/2 cups (or more) vegetable broth
3 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
1/2 teaspoon grated orange peel

Red Pepper Puree Ingredients
1 cup coarsely chopped drained roasted red peppers from jar (I roasted them myself)
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1/4 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper

Preparation
1. Heat oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add onions; sauté until tender, about 12 minutes. Add garlic; stir 1 minute. Add squash and 5 1/2 cups broth; bring to boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer until squash is soft, about 40 minutes. Cool slightly.
2. Working in batches, puree soup in blender until smooth. Return puree to pot. Add 1 teaspoon thyme and orange peel. Thin soup with more broth if desired. Simmer 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cool slightly. Cover and chill. Rewarm before serving, thinning with more broth if desired.)
3. Preparation of Puree: Puree all ingredients in processor until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover; chill. Bring to room temperature before using.)
4. Ladle soup into bowls. (Optional addition: add in a lop of heavy cream before you swirl in the pepper - gives the soup a nice creamy flavor.) Swirl 1 tablespoon Roasted Red Pepper Puree into soup in each bowl. Sprinkle with remaining 2 teaspoons thyme and serve.