Fabio's Creamless Creamy Squash Soup - Butternut Squash Soup

• 1 celery rib, chopped
• 1 medium carrot, chopped
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 tbsp (30 ml) fine-quality extra-virgin olive oil (preferably Tuscan) plus additional for drizzling
• 1 lb (.5 kg). winter squash such as butternut, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 1/2 lb (.2 kg) boiling potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 1 whole fresh peperoncino (small hot Italian green pepper) or 3/4 tsp (4 ml) dried hot red pepper flakes
• 2 tsp (10 ml) coarse sea salt
• 3-1/2 cups (825 ml) boiling water plus additional for thinning
• 1 crisp amaretto (Italian almond macaroon), finely crushed, about 2 tbsp

1. Cook celery, carrot, and onion in 2 tbsp (30 ml) oil in a 3-quart heavy saucepan over low heat, stirring occasionally, until tender but not browned, 10 to 12 minutes.
2. Add squash, potatoes, peperoncino, and sea salt.
3. Stir in 3-1/2 cups (825 ml) boiling water and simmer, covered, until vegetables are very tender, about 20 minutes.
4. Remove and discard peperoncino (if using pepper flakes, leave in soup).
5. Pur e soup in batches in a blender (use caution when blending hot liquids), adding more water to thin to desired consistency.
6. Serve soup drizzled with additional oil and sprinkled with amaretto crumbs.

celery, carrot, onion, olive oil, winter, boiling potatoes, fresh peperoncino, salt, boiling water, crisp amaretto

Taken from online-cookbook.com/goto/cook/rpage/0010D8 (may not work)