Tag: butternut squash (Page 2 of 2)

Fall Harvest Soup

October 28, 2015 / Jenny / 6 Comments

I love it when food captures the color and feeling of a season. This fall harvest soup does just that. It is warm and nourishing, and its color is a beautiful combination of deep orange and gold, much like the leaves that are falling off of the trees. With butternut squash, potatoes, and carrots being the main ingredients, it if full of necessary vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients to help us stay strong as the weather turns cold and damp. Curry, ginger, and nutmeg give this soup a subtle flavor, along with a generous amount of ground peppercorns. Because it is pureed in the blender or food processor, the texture is smooth and creamy, and you can serve it either in bowls or little glasses. The garnish possibilities are endless, including chopped walnuts, roasted pumpkin seeds, shredded cheese, or sour cream.

Though I have made some changes, the recipe for this soup is based on one I found in one of my favorite cookbooks, simply called “Autumn,” by Susan Branch. My cousin gave me this cookbook a few years ago, and I have enjoyed many of the recipes in it, along with beautiful illustrations and quotes. This cousin is actually more like a sister to me, since she and I both grew up with three brothers and no sisters. We are so different, yet so alike in many ways. Food has the power to connect people, and every time I use a recipe from that cookbook she gave me, I think of her. We live far apart now (the Atlantic Ocean is between us), yet we are able to stay connected. She recently called me to wish me a happy birthday, and along with catching up about our families and our career accomplishments and aspirations, she told me about her latest favorite way to make butternut squash (which I want to try soon). The love of food is something we have shared for a long time, a love rooted in our shared past and our shared ancestors, and our shared favorite recipes.

No matter how much modern life seems to isolate us, or how much our busy schedules threaten to overtake our souls, food can bring us back to earth and connect us to those we love. A humble vegetable like squash can make us feel like we have crossed continents. Allowing time for washing, peeling, and chopping vegetables gives us time to think, to reminisce, or to talk with whomever is in the kitchen. Homemade soup cannot be rushed. Somehow soup that is not rushed tastes the best to me. This soup is delicious–in its taste, in its color, and with all the associations it brings. Wishing you all the beauty of fall.

Fall Harvest Soup

Servings: 8-10
Time: about
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Ingredients:

3 tablespoons of butter
1 medium onion, chopped
2 medium to large carrots, peeled and sliced
2 medium potatoes or 4-5 small potatoes, peeled and cubed
about 5 cups of butternut squash (one medium-sized squash or about 2 and 1/2 pounds), peeled and cubed, with seeds cut away
6 cups of chicken broth or stock (I like the Better than Bouillon brand)
1 teaspoon of curry
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of dried ginger
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of nutmeg
salt and pepper to taste
chopped walnuts, roasted pumpkin seeds, shredded cheese, or sour cream for garnish

Directions:

Melt the butter in a large soup pot. Over medium heat, saute the onion and carrot until soft, about 7 minutes. Stir in the potatoes and squash. Add the broth and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, partially covered, for about 40 minutes. Add the curry, nutmeg, and ginger. Let the soup cool for a few minutes. In a food processor or blender, puree the soup in batches. Return the soup to the pot and add salt and pepper to your taste. Adjust the other seasonings if you wish. Serve in bowls with spoons, or in little glasses to sip. Enjoy!

Golden Potato Soup with Cabbage and Butternut Squash

December 12, 2014 / Dragonfly Home Recipes / 17 Comments

I guess I am in a bit of a soup mode right now. What better way to cut the damp chill in the air than to make a pot of hot, steaming, vegetable-filled soup. What better way to soothe a sore throat and nourish a loved one back to health. A couple of us in my house had some kind of a mild illness last week, and homemade soups served us very well. Even without a sore throat, my husband has benefited from the warmth and vitality of the vegetables. At the risk of posting too many soups in a row (my daughter, who isn’t really a soup fan, warned me of this–I think she just wants me to make a dessert), I am sharing a delightful variation of the soup I posted a few days ago. This particular soup has no meat, and it has a smooth, buttery taste, though it also has no butter. The butternut squash gives it just the right creaminess. This soup is chock-full of nutrients with the potatoes, cabbage,onions, and squash. I added some Parmesan cheese to my bowl when I served it, and that gave it an extra amount of richness. Aside from chopping some vegetables, this soup takes almost no effort to make, and can be done all in one pot. You can serve it with some crusty bread, crackers and cheese, a green salad, or sandwiches. Or you can simply sip it on its own for a little comfort and revival of your energy. I’m going to take a couple of bowls over to the the Fiesta Friday link-up party at Angie’s blog, the novice gardener, where there are lots of other delicious dishes to check out!

Golden Potato Soup with Cabbage and Butternut Squash

Servings: 4-6
Time: about 15 minutes to prepare, about 20-30 minutes to cook
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Ingredients:

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup onion, finely chopped
1 cup cabbage, finely chopped
1 cup butternut squash, peeled and diced
4 cups potatoes, diced
6 cups chicken broth–I love Better than Bouillon chicken base because it gives soups a rich texture (if you wish, you can use vegetable broth)
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
3/4 cup milk
dried or fresh dill for garnish
grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

Directions:

Wash and chop the onion, cabbage, and potatoes. Wash, peel, and chop the butternut squash. In a large soup pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Saute the onion and the cabbage for about 5-7 minutes, until the onion is soft. Add the potatoes and squash. Then add the broth, a teaspoon of salt, and a 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper. Bring the broth just to a boil, and then lower the heat to simmer (medium-low). Simmer gently for about 20 minutes, until the potatoes and squash are tender. Add the milk and more salt and pepper to taste, if desired. Top with a teaspoon or so of dill, if desired. When serving the soup, add some Parmesan cheese to the bowls, if you wish. Serve with bread, cheese and crackers, a green salad, or sandwiches. Enjoy!

Warm Up with Roasted Butternut Squash and Cauliflower in Pita Bread

November 19, 2014 / Dragonfly Home Recipes / 0 Comments

It snowed almost all day today. The sandhill cranes must be getting ready to head south, because I could hear them at dusk this evening, calling and honking and making such a racket, gathering at the bird sanctuary near here. These are perfect times to roast vegetables, using nature’s bounty, warming up the kitchen, warming up ourselves. The recipe I have posted below is very flavorful and nourishing. I love the color combination of the vivid, golden butternut squash with the deep purple of the onion. Butternut squash and cauliflower can taste a little bland when cooked all on their own, but when they are roasted with a little olive oil, red onion and garlic, and then tossed with lemon and toasted walnuts, the result is delicious flavor and lots of nutrients. Add some grated Parmesan cheese, spoon the mixture into a pita pocket or onto a piece of flatbread, and you have a light, yet satisfying meal. This time of year makes me think of the following quote by the poet Wendell Berry: “Eating with the fullest pleasure is perhaps the profoundest enactment of our connection with the world. In this pleasure we experience and celebrate our dependence and our gratitude.”

Butternut Squash and Cauliflower Roasted with Red Onion and Garlic

Servings: 2-4
Time: approximately 45 minutes
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Ingredients:

2 cups butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cubed in 1/2-inch pieces
2 cups cauliflower, cut into florets
1/2 cup red onion, sliced
1-2 cloves garlic, peeled and thinly sliced
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup walnuts
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
4 pita bread pockets or 2-4 pieces flatbread

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Wash and chop/slice the vegetables. Spread the vegetables in a single layer onto a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and salt and pepper to taste. Roast in your oven for 30-35 minutes, or until the vegetables start to turn lightly brown and are crisp-tender. While the vegetables are roasting, grate the teaspoon of lemon zest and squeeze the tablespoon of lemon juice into a cup. Also, on a separate baking sheet, lay out the walnuts and pita bread. For about the last five minutes of roasting time, place the walnuts and pita bread in the oven with the vegetables, till the walnuts are lightly toasted but not burned. Remove the walnuts, pita, and vegetables from the oven and toss the vegetables and walnuts in a bowl with 1 more tablespoon of olive oil, the grated Parmesan cheese, the lemon zest and lemon juice. Gently spoon the mixture into the pita pockets or spoon onto flatbread. Enjoy!