Roasted Summer Squash Soup w/ Buttered Portobello Mushrooms

This is a very easy soup to make and perfect for a hot summer-like weather evening. It was about 89 degrees this afternoon in Boston! On top of that, my gym's AC was not working in one of the classrooms and I was sweating profusely and uncomfortably. Luckily, a quick shower solved everything and made me a much happier camper. :) I met up with my friend Sue first at her office then we walked over to Snappy Sushi on Newbury St. for a late lunch. I ordered a something that had cubed sashimi over greens and some brown rice at the bottom. It was good, fresh, and light but I was still hungry even after I finished the entire thing. :( I guess after a rigorous workout I needed to feed my body more substance?

By the time I got home, I was pooped but needed to eat some more. I got cooking with making my broth, 4 cups of water, a couple of pork bones, scallion whites, and pinch of fresh rosemary. In a baking dish, I roasted a 1 lb of summer squash, 2 small carrots, and half an apple (I ate the other half) at 400 degrees for about 15 minutes. Then I took a nap while the broth was simmering over low-med heat (6).

Broth. I know, not the most attractive photo.



Roasted veggies.



When I woke up (about 45 minutes later), everything was ready! If you don't have time to make broth, feel free to use the pre-made stuff - they're just as good. I recommend chicken but I think beef would bring out some interesting flavors.

In a blender, combine broth (as much as you need to help make it easy to blend), veggies, and 2 T of pistachios.



Once done, pour it back into the pot w/ the rest of the broth. Simmer on low heat. Add additional spices... I added 1/2 T of salt, 1/2 tsp of paprika (i love this spice!), 1/2 tsp of allspice, and 1/2 tsp of italian spices. Feel free to add any other spices you like.



In a pan, add 1/2 T of butter, and throw in 1/2 cup of sliced portobello mushrooms. Cook for about 5 minutes on medium heat. Sorry, no photo of the mushrooms bathing in hot butter.



Then serve!