Sunday, September 26, 2010

1 chicken 4 ways: number 4

Finally I'm getting around to telling you how I finished using the beer-can chicken--after about a month of avoiding it.  Whenever I make a whole chicken, the last step is using the bones to make chicken broth.  I made a summery zucchini basil soup from the last batch of broth.  If you've got zucchini coming out of your ears, this is a great way to use quite a few up.  I happened to be overrun with pattypan squashes at that time, and they worked just as well.  I wasn't happy with any of the available recipes that I found, so I combined a couple.

Creamy Basil Summer Squash Soup
adapted from myrecipes and epicurious

This soup gets nice and creamy and tastes like summer.  We liked it topped with grated parmesan, roasted red pepper strips, and pine nuts.

1 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, diced
2 lbs zucchini or other summer squash, chopped (about 6-8 cups)
4 c reduced-sodium or homemade chicken broth
1 c loosely-packed rinsed basil leaves
2-4 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
salt


Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add squash and cook another 2 minutes; then add chicken broth and 1 cup basil leaves. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook 20 minutes.  Purée the soup in batches in a blender. Pour the soup through a strainer into a bowl, using a ladle to push any solid bits through. Add the cayenne pepper. Season with salt to taste.

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