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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 created this dish as a healthier alternative to the packaged vegan taco meats that I’ve used in the past (like Yves Meatless Ground Taco Stuffers and Soyrizo). For sure, they are delicious (YUM!), but they’re also highly processed (BOO!). I’m striving to use more whole foods.
Tempeh is a fermented, whole soy food. My favorite brand is Turtle Island Foods. The Organic Five Grain flavor contains (organic) non-GMO soybeans, millet, brown rice, sesame seeds, apple cider vinegar, and rhizopus oligosporus starter culture.
Tempeh can have a bitter edge, so it’s best to cut and steam the pieces of tempeh for about 10 minutes before using. I like tempeh best when it has a chance to soak up flavors from a liquid-based marinade or sauce. The black spots are molds that are supposed to be there.
Steaming the tempeh.
Chopped steamed tempeh.
INGREDIENTS
1- 8 0z “block” or “cake” tempeh, thawed, steamed and chopped
20 crimini mushrooms, chopped or sliced
6 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 onion, chopped
1-2 carrots, chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, seeds removed and minced
1/2 red pepper, chopped
Dash garlic powder
1/2 t salt
1/2-1 t chili powder
1 t oregano
1 t cumin
1 1/2 t salt-free fajita seasoning blend (contains paprika, onion, garlic, black pepper, oregano & cumin)
2 T apple cider vinegar
1 T tamari
1/4 C tomato paste
3/4 C water
Chopped Crimini Mushrooms
ASSEMBLY
While you’re steaming the tempeh, chop the veggies. Keep the mushrooms separate, but you can combine the garlic, onion, carrots, jalapeno, and red pepper in a bowl. Combine the spices. Combine the wet ingredients (vinegar, tamari, tomato paste & water.) After the steamed tempeh cools, chop it.
I used 2 large saute pans, each on medium heat with a little coconut oil.
In the first pan, saute about half of the veggies, half of the spices and all of the mushrooms.
Sauteed crimini mushrooms, veggies & spices.
In the second pan, cook the other half of the veggies and spices with the chopped tempeh and wet ingredients. The liquid marinade will soak into the tempeh. Cook down some of the liquid, but not all.
Tempeh, veggies, spices and liquid marinade.
Finally, combine the two. Portion in 1 cup sized wide mouth freezer jars. Makes 6- 1 cup servings.
Tempeh Mushroom Taco Filling
Eat this filling with your favorite taco fixings, in tortillas or as a salad.
Don’t forget the Pinto Bean Dip!
NSNG = No Sugar No Grain
Freeheel Vegan 