Crema De Calabaza (Creamy Squash Soup)

Translated from "Atrévete a cocinar" by Karlos Arguiñano. This is a quick and easy recipe, and the soup is perfect for a chilly autumn or winter day. NOTE: The most common squash is Spain are large butternut-shaped gourds, green on the outside and bright orange on the inside, and are bigger than most people shopping in the city can carry. Seriously they look like the Incredible Hulk's forearms. So people tend to buy squash in slices. Acorn or pumpkin should do the trick, though I admit the Spanish variety is much easier to peel and slice.

• Ready In: 30 mins
• Serves: 4-6

Ingredients

• 400  g squash
• 1 (200 g)  potatoes
• 2  carrots
• 1  leek
• 2  tablespoons olive oil
•  salt

Directions

1. Boil 1 L water in a saucepan.
2. Cut squash into cubes.
3. Cut off top and bottom of carrots, peel them and cut them into 1/3-inch-thick disks.
4. Clean the leak, reserve a part of it for garnish and slice the rest.
5. Peel the potato and cut into stew chunks.
6. Add vegetables to saucepan, add 2 tbsp oil and 1/2 tsp salt, or to taste. Cover and let cook 25 minutes on medium heat.
7. Remove vegetables from heat. Blend with hand blender until smooth and creamy. Before serving in bowls, garnish surface with fine strips of leek.