A slight variation on a recipe I received from a fellow Minnesota farm wife. A delicious soup that can also easily be cooked in a slow cooker and freezes well.
At Craft restaurant in Manhattan, where I work as the pastry chef, I like to send out a small bowl of caramel popcorn as a parting gift to guests. I prefer yellow popcorn; it seems to yield the biggest popped kernels.
'The recipe for this thick and creamy soup was given to me by a fellow squash lover,' reports Dorrene Butterfield from her home in Lincoln, Nebraska. 'The attractive rich yellow soup is especially enjoyable during the cool nights of Indian summer.'
Use leftover cooked pearl barley with lentils, veggies, and seasonings for a hearty main-dish burger sans the bun. Fruit salsa adds bright flavors. Serve with lime wedges for added zest.
