Pumpkin, corn, and Lemongrass Soup

This week Chris brought home lemongrass from our CSA. Of couse, I had no idea what to do with it but luckily they provided several recipes and this is the one I decided to make.

A 1.5C serving comes in at two points. This is a really refreshing soup, I think due to the inclusion of the lemongrass. Definitely refreshing enough to enjoy as a summer soup too.

Ingredients

1 fresh lemongrass stalk, root end trimmed and 1 or 2 outer layers discarded
1 large onion, chopped
1T olive oil (originally called for 2T butter and 2T olive oil)
1 3/4 pounds kabocha or butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1- inch pieces ( 4 cups)
2 1/2 cups fresh or frozen com kernels (10 ounces; from 2 to 3 ears)
5 cups water (I used 4C chicken broth and 1C water to give a little richness)
Garnish: cilantro leaves (I forgot this but it would have been good)

Preparation

Cut off and discard top of lemongrass, leaving a 6-inch stalk, then smash stalk with side of a large heavy knife.

Cook lemongrass, onion and 1t salt in oil in a heavy medium pot over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until onion is softened, about 10 minutes. Add squash, com, water, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and bring to a boil over high heat.

Reduce heat and simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, until squash is tender, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and discard lemongrass.

Puree soup in 3 or batches in a blender until very smooth (use caution when blending hot liquids), straining each batch as blended through a fine-mesh sieve into a large heatproof bowl, pressing hard on and then discarding solids. Season with salt and pepper and reheat if necessary.