Vegan MoFo, Day 3: Soup's On!

While not really totally in keeping with my theme (must it always be a "foodie" post? nope.), this post still fits into the fall season.

Seriously, it's already October, guys! That means it's almost the end of the year. It means that I'm going to have to shell out some $crilla for xmas gifts soon. It means that it's almost our one-year wedding anniversary (eek! commitment!).

And it also means the beginning of cold and flu season. *cough/sniffle*

This roasted butternut squash soup should do the trick.

"Feel-Good Golden Yumminess in a Bowl"

makes 4 servings, not indicated in the picture of my gigantic ass serving...

1 butternut squash

1/2 yellow onion, cut into chunks similar in size to the squash

2 cloves of garlic

canola oil (or oil of your choice)

S&P

1 no-beef bouillon cube

~3 cups water

cooked pinto beans

spicy roasted seeds

squash seeds, picked clean of the fibers

oil

S&P

1/8 tsp chipotle powder

1/4 tsp smoked paprika

Preheat your oven to 375 deg. F.

Cut the ends off of your squash, then cut that sucker in half lengthwise (hotdog, not hamburger). Scrape out the seeds into a bowl or strainer. You'll deal with those later. With a veggie peeler, peel off the skin of the squash. Easier done with the squash on its side, lest you repeatedly hit your hands on the cutting board with each peel. Ouchies. Cut squash into cubes, toss then onto a baking tray, drizzle with oil and seasonings, mix with your hands to coat the squash, and toss in the oven (middle rack) for about 50-60 minutes.

Remove the seeds from the squash fiber. This is best done over the sink with a little water. Pat the seeds dry and put them into a separate casserole dish/pan. Sprinkle with a little bit of oil, add the seasonings, and toss with a spoon. Seriously, chipotle powder forgotten and rubbed into the eyes later = infinite sadness. Pop them into the oven on the top rack. The seeds only need about 20 minutes to bake, so by the time you get them into the oven (de-fibering takes a while), they should be done with the squash.

Bring a pan of water and 1 no-beef bouillon cube to a boil on the stove. Add the cooked squash, garlic (remove the yumminess inside the clove), and onion to the pan of water/bouillon. With an immersion blender, blend up the soup until it is a creamy, smooth, beautiful concoction.

Ladle the soup into your vessel of choice. Top with some cooked pinto beans (that's what I made earlier in the day for the week) and some of the spicy seeds.

Noms.

{it's seriously sunshine in a bowl,

going straight to the part of you that needs it most}

And then hope that your general feeling of shat goes away...it might also help to read something, watch some DVR'd shows on the couch, and make up a cup o' green tea with a drizzle of agave.

Jes