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Mexican Butternut Squash Soup
I love to make soup with baked squash. This one is pretty spicy (by my palate), but still flavorful and not too spicy. (I’ve definitely overdone it in the past!) If you want to ease it up, just back off on the cayenne, chipotle, and chili powder. Remember- you can always add more heat, but you can’t take it away!
To make this recipe No Sugar No Grains (NSNG), omit the corn. I had a bag in my freezer that I needed to get eating, so I decided to use the entire 12 oz package. As you can see from the pictures, the soup is quite “corny” with that much in there. Adjust the amount of corn to your taste.
To get started, you need to bake a butternut squash. Wash the squash and prepare a cookie sheet with a piece of parchment paper. To safely divide the squash lengthwise, I find that it’s best to use the “Psycho Shower Scene” knife grip and stab technique…
Use your largest knife. Carefully make multiple stabbing cuts (slow and precise…unlike the shower scene!) with the point of the knife until you can “connect” the cuts and ease the 2 halves apart. Scoop out the seeds and place the cut sides face down on the parchment paper. Bake for 45 minutes at 400 degrees.
Demonstrating the “Psycho Shower Scene” knife grip and stab technique.
(To learn about my 269 tattoo check out the link below this picture.)
Baked butternut squash. (One half flipped over to show what it looks like after baking.)
INGREDIENTS
1 butternut squash, baked
4 C water (or liquid vegetable broth)
Coconut oil (to coat the soup pot)
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 onion, chopped
2 carrots, chopped in discs
1 cauliflower, chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
Dash garlic powder
Dash cayenne
Dash celery salt
1/8 t black pepper
1/8 t ground chipotle (very spicy)
1 t cumin
1 t chili powder
1 t basil
2 t dried chives
2 t Vegebase vegan broth powder (if not using liquid broth)
1 C water, as needed
15 oz can black beans, rinsed (double the amount if you want)
Optional- frozen organic corn, to taste
Measure all your spices in a small bowl.
ASSEMBLY
1. Blend the baked squash meat with 4 cups of water or liquid vegetable broth. Set aside.
2. Coat a large soup pot with coconut oil. Saute the vegetables with the spices for several minutes on medium heat.
3. Add the squash puree to the soup pot. Add another cup of water as needed. Simmer covered for about 45 minutes, or until the cauliflower is soft. In the last 15 minutes of cooking, add the beans and corn.
Makes about 7 1/2 pints, depending on the size of your squash and the amount of corn used.
Have some soup for dinner and freeze the rest in wide mouth freezer jars.
ENJOY!
I’ve been working on this Curry Soup recipe for a while, and I do believe I’ve got it right! It is so very creamy and delicious. (NSNG = No Sugar, No Grains)
It is mildly spicy, so if you need to kick it up a notch, then add some crushed red pepper flakes to your individual soup bowl, or else experiment with adding some Thai chilies to the simmering soup itself. (I’m usually afraid to over-spice the soup so I tend to err on the side of mildness!)
This recipe makes about 9 pints. Have some for dinner and freeze the rest in pint jars!
Here are some notes about a few of the ingredients. Once you get these items, you’ll be able to make this recipe again and again!
Garam Masala is a blend of Indian cooking spices. I get mine from the bulk spice section of my food Co-op. The blend includes cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, cumin, pepper and coriander.
Medium Yellow Curry Powder is a spice blend that I have from the Savory Spice Shop. It contains coriander, turmeric, ginger, fenugreek, anise, cumin, Saigon cinnamon, black pepper, regular yellow mustard, cayenne, mace, and cardamom.
Red Curry Paste (from Thai Kitchen) contains red chili pepper, garlic, lemongrass, galangal (thai ginger), salt, shallot, spices and kaffir lime.
Ginger Juice (from The Ginger People) is a convenient way to flavor soups with ginger. I just don’t like to hassle with fresh ginger. And, I guess I prefer ginger juice to powdered ginger.
Natural Value Coconut Milk, in the BPA-free can, is the brand of coconut milk I buy. It does not contain guar gum like some other brands do.
Curry Soup with Cashews, Toasted Pumpkin Seeds & Unsweetened Coconut Shreds
INGREDIENTS:
1 T coconut oil
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 onion, chopped
1 orange or red pepper, chopped
2 carrots, chopped in discs
2 celery stalks, sliced on the diagonal
1 large sweet potato, peeled and cubed
30 button or crimini mushrooms, sliced
1 zucchini, chopped (*keep separate from the other veggies)
1 t fenugreek seeds
2 t Garam masala spice blend
2 t medium yellow curry powder
4 C water + 2 t veggie broth powder (Vegebase)
3 t ginger juice (The Ginger People)
2 t Red Curry Paste (Thai Kitchen)
15 oz diced fire roasted tomatoes
15 oz tomato sauce
15 oz (cooked) garbanzo or great northern beans, rinsed
13.5 oz coconut milk (without guar gum) (Natural Value)
For Garnish:
Cashews or peanuts
Toasted pumpkin seeds (Bake at 300 degrees for 10 minutes.)
Finely shredded unsweetened coconut
Crushed red pepper flakes
ASSEMBLY:
- Heat the oil and the fenugreek seeds in a large soup pot on medium heat.
- Gradually add the veggies except for the zucchini. (The zucchini will turn to mush if you let it simmer for the whole time. The zucchini will be added to the soup in the last 5-10 minutes of cooking.)
- Add the spices.
- Add the water, broth, ginger juice, and tomato products.
- Simmer, covered, for about an hour, or until the potatoes are cooked.
- In the last 5-10 minutes of cooking, add the zucchini, beans, and coconut milk.
- Portion in wide mouth pint freezer jars. Makes 9 pints.
- Garnish with nuts, seeds and/or unsweetened coconut shreds.
Natural Value Coconut Milk
Toasted Pumpkin Seeds
Freeheel Vegan 