Monday, March 20, 2017
Roasted squash soup could not be simpler to make, and it’s bursting with antioxidants and fiber for a delightfully nutritious lunch or dinner. Or breakfast. Because why not?
Yumminess starts popping up around spring time, when the first sweet vegetables begin to appear. I’ve got tons of dishes featuring my favorites here on the blog, from lemon-roasted asparagus to spring green pea and cauliflower soup.
In Boston, however, snow remains on the ground, and it’s still winter roots and squashes at my local market. So that’s what I’ve got in my kitchen, and this week I’ll be posting two easy variations that came from this one giant batch of roasted squash soup. It’s incredibly rich in many carotenoids (like alpha-carotene, beta-carotene, lutein, zeaxanthin, and beta-cryptoxanthin), fiber, B-vitamins, and minerals. And there’s only 63 calories in one cup of cubed squash to boot.
Also, it’s really wonderful.
Roasted Squash Soup
Ingredients
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 leeks, chopped and rinsed well (about 1 cup)
3 stalks celery, chopped (about 1 cup)
1 large red pepper, chopped (about 3/4 cup), optional
5 cloves garlic, minced or crushed
Salt and freshly cracked pepper, to season
8 cups chopped roasted squash and/or sweet potatoes (I used 1 acorn, 1 large butternut, and 1 sweet potato here, though any variation works so don’t sweat it)
10 cups veggie stock, homemade or no-sodium
Additional salt and pepper
Instructions
1. Roast squashes and sweet potatoes, as shown here.
2. While squash is roasting, pour oil into a large soup pot over medium heat, then add the leeks, celery, and red pepper, seasoning with salt and pepper. Cook about 5 minutes, until vegetables are soft, then add garlic and stir until fragrant, an additional 30 seconds or so.
2. Once quash is cooked, remove from the skins (except for sweet potatoes, whose skins are perfectly edible and rich in fiber), give a rough chop, and toss into the pot, mixing to combine. Stir in the stock, bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer an additional 20-30 minutes or so.
3. Blend soup (a hand blender is life-changing and burn-preventing), taste, and adjust salt and pepper as desired. Add a bit of heavy cream if you like, though you’ll find this dairy-free version perfectly rich on its own, I’m betting.
4. Serve as is, or perhaps with a fun garnish of toasted squash seeds.
Makes a huge vat, which freezes beautifully.
Learn more about food personality and health expert Dr. PK Newby here, or her experience as a nutrition scientist, professor, and consultant here. Or click here if you just want to ogle food porn featuring plant-based, globally inspired cooking.
