Recipe: Four-Squash Soup with Tomatoes, Salsa and Lime

FOUR-SQUASH SOUP WITH TOMATOES, SALSA AND LIME

1/2 cup orzo, uncooked
1 cup tiny cherry tomatoes or 1 1/2 cups regular cherry tomatoes, cut into halves
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 or 4 garlic cloves, chopped
1 yellow pattypan squash, diced
1 green pattypan squash, diced
1 green zucchini, diced
1 golden zucchini, diced
6 cups vegetable broth or chicken stock
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
Salt (to taste)
FOR SERVING:
2 to 3 tablespoons red salsa
1 lime, cut into wedges

Cook orzo in boiling salted water until al dente. Drain and set aside.

Quickly saute the tomatoes in olive oil until lightly browned (if using halved cherry tomatoes, cook until slightly saucy).

Add the garlic and cook a few moments, then stir in the squash. Continue to cook another minute or two.

Add the broth or stock and cook 10 minutes, or until the squash is just tender. Season with oregano and salt.

TO SERVE:
Place a few spoonfuls of the orzo into each serving bowl. Ladle soup into each serving bowl. Garnish each with a dab of salsa and a wedge of lime.

COOKING TIP:
"To add a pleasant, fresh taste to a leftover tomato-based soup (including minestrone), try adding an orange half and simmering it in the soup for 15 to 30 minutes."

Makes 2 to 4 servings
Adapted from source: The San Francisco Chronicle Cookbook by Michael Bauer and Fran Irwin, 1997