Every year about this time, I start to think about making good hearty butternut squash dishes. I formulate recipes and flavor combinations in my head while driving, daydreaming, even while cooking other things.
Last week, I bought the first butternut of the season, and I peeled and cubed it, mixed them with diced red onion, tossed themixture in melted coconut oil, and seasoned them with our 'house' seasoning, a mix of garlic powder, onion powder and a bit of seasoned salt. I roasted them at around 400 degrees on some stoneware lined with parchment. That yielded some of the most delicious sweet/savory butternut squash you can imagine! I then used that mixture to top some flatbreads, along with thinly slice apples, crumbled blue cheese, some shredded colby-jack, and a sprinkling of coconut 'bacon'. They were delicious too!
I was on a roll! I had some of the squash and onion mixture left in the fridge for a few days, so I pulled that out one evening and mad a couple of beautiful quiches, this time mixed with kale, some of the blue cheese, some Italian shredded cheese, minced garlic, and the eggs and so forth! WINNER!! Another great dish, and a wonderful use for the leftovers.
On my next trip to the store, I noticed they had organically grown butternut squash, so since I was making interesting and tasty squash dishes, I decided to buy another one. They were on sale! 99 cents!! When I got home, it was like a bad joke. There on the counter was a butternut squash with a big curved neck, that, if stretched out straight, would have been two feet long! As it turns out, our friend dropped it by.
Since I hate seeing food go to waste, I set to work on Saturday morning to get this big squash broken down into more manageable units! Divide and conquer!! I first cut the squash into 4-inch lengths, give or take, and then peeled each one. I then cut each length, first lengthwise into approximately 1/2 inch square strips, then chopped into cubes. I ended up with a huge bowl of cubes! I measured out about 6 cups of the cubes and tossed those into my slow cooker, and began building my soup. I had seen a recipe on Facebook for a turmeric and ginger infused soup that called for sweet potatoes. I thought the squash might be a great substitution for the sweet potatoes. I was right!! I also modified the recipe to add some more layers of flavor with onions, garlic, vegetable bouillon, and more.
So, here it is, folks. I recorded everything I put in (I THINK!) and I want to share it with everyone. It's a nice healthy hearty soup for a chilly fall or even very cold winter day! I hope you enjoy it! Our oldest son and his wife are coming for dinner this evening, so this, and some artisanal bread from the farmer's market are what's for dinner!
BUTTERNUT SQUASH TURMERIC SOUP
Ingredients
6 medium carrots, sliced ½-in.
6 cups butternut squash, peeled and cubed
1 onion, minced (I used ½ sweet onion, and ½ red onion)
4 cups filtered water
1 can chickpeas
2 tbsp garlic, minced
1 inch fresh ginger, peeled with a spoon and diced
1 Tbsp. ground turmeric
1 tsp. pink salt
2 pinches nutmeg
1 tsp. smoky paprika
2 heaping tbsp. organic Better than Bouillon Vegetable Base (Costco) (You could substitute with less water and some chicken stock)
Last week, I bought the first butternut of the season, and I peeled and cubed it, mixed them with diced red onion, tossed themixture in melted coconut oil, and seasoned them with our 'house' seasoning, a mix of garlic powder, onion powder and a bit of seasoned salt. I roasted them at around 400 degrees on some stoneware lined with parchment. That yielded some of the most delicious sweet/savory butternut squash you can imagine! I then used that mixture to top some flatbreads, along with thinly slice apples, crumbled blue cheese, some shredded colby-jack, and a sprinkling of coconut 'bacon'. They were delicious too!
I was on a roll! I had some of the squash and onion mixture left in the fridge for a few days, so I pulled that out one evening and mad a couple of beautiful quiches, this time mixed with kale, some of the blue cheese, some Italian shredded cheese, minced garlic, and the eggs and so forth! WINNER!! Another great dish, and a wonderful use for the leftovers.
On my next trip to the store, I noticed they had organically grown butternut squash, so since I was making interesting and tasty squash dishes, I decided to buy another one. They were on sale! 99 cents!! When I got home, it was like a bad joke. There on the counter was a butternut squash with a big curved neck, that, if stretched out straight, would have been two feet long! As it turns out, our friend dropped it by.
So, here it is, folks. I recorded everything I put in (I THINK!) and I want to share it with everyone. It's a nice healthy hearty soup for a chilly fall or even very cold winter day! I hope you enjoy it! Our oldest son and his wife are coming for dinner this evening, so this, and some artisanal bread from the farmer's market are what's for dinner!
BUTTERNUT SQUASH TURMERIC SOUP
Ingredients
6 medium carrots, sliced ½-in.
6 cups butternut squash, peeled and cubed
1 onion, minced (I used ½ sweet onion, and ½ red onion)
4 cups filtered water
1 can chickpeas
2 tbsp garlic, minced
1 inch fresh ginger, peeled with a spoon and diced
1 Tbsp. ground turmeric
1 tsp. pink salt
2 pinches nutmeg
1 tsp. smoky paprika
2 heaping tbsp. organic Better than Bouillon Vegetable Base (Costco) (You could substitute with less water and some chicken stock)
Combine all ingredients in a
slow cooker.
Cook on high for four hours, or on low for 6 hours.
Serve with your favorite
savory garnish: Chives; crumbled goat cheese, shredded cheddar, chopped sage.
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