Harvest Squash Soup Fall and Winter's Comfort Food!

Soup, a welcome comfort carb on any blustery Fall or Winter day. This recipe boasts a combination of squashes pureed in with black beans and spices to bring just the right amount of yum-ness to the table.

As you may now notice with my blogs, I am long in recipe and short on verbiage. If you are like me, I am not one for reading one's life story behind the creation of, I just want to create! Something you may not have noticed, is that when I put a recipe together, it has a functional purpose. What I mean by that is, that I add specific ingredients to bring the greatest nutrient, antioxidant, cleansing or healing value to the table while making sure it tastes great as well. You may not be able to count on me for a long story, but you can count on me for health filled recipes!

I know my recipes are good (humbly saying so...) and the feedback is always positive. Sometimes , questions come up with respect to the coveted "bliss point". The marketing practice of increasing the flavour additives of salt, sugar and fat to the point of greatest palatability. The problem with this approach is it isn't necessarily functional or healthy! While I don't use a lot of salt, I never use refined sugar and well, I do use fats, healthy fats. So if you find yourself commenting on these three....it is not my taste buds that are off.....get my drift?

Health tip: if you decide to eat clean and unprocessed, it will take approximately 21 days to alter your taste buds. Once you hit this point, you will wonder why you ever thought what you were previously eating tasted good! If you need help, I would be happy to help you get started! Message me!

This recipe is gluten free friendly, vegetarian, vegan. Bake your root veggies, add comforting warming spices, some beans and you have a wonderful lunch, dinner, breakfast(?) YES! soup.

Loaded with fibre, protein, beta carotene, Vitamin C and more. Top with cheese (if in your dietary regime) and some sourdough bread or my "Golden Seed Flax Crackers".

That is all. Bon Appetite!

Harvest Squash and Black Bean Soup

A hearty Fall or Winter Soup. This soup is creamy rich and filling.

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour

Ingredients:

• 1 small sweet potato, peeled

• 1 butternut squash, seeded

• 1 acorn squash, seeded

• 3 tbsp of olive oil or ghee

• 1 large onion, chopped

• 1 tbsp of minced fresh ginger(optional)

• 1 tsp sea salt (or Herbamare)

• 1/4 tsp pepper

• 3/4 tsp cumin powder

• 1 tsp turmeric powder

• 1 can (240g approx) of black beans (look for BPA free container)

• 3 cups of vegetable or chicken stock(or water)

• 2 tbsp of lemon

• Cilantro for garnish

Preparation:

• Cut the butternut and acorn squash in half. Coat with olive oil and lay face down on pan. Place the whole sweet potato on the pan (no need to cut) .Roast the sweet potato, butternut squash and acorn squash in a baking pan at 375F for 45 minutes. Let cool slightly. When you are able to handle, peel the skin off the potato and squashes. Chop into pieces. Set aside.

• In a medium sauce pan, sauté the chopped onion, ginger in 2 tbsp of olive oil or ghee. Sauté till translucent. Add the cumin,pepper, salt and turmeric powder. Stir.

• Rinse the black beans throughly and add to the sautéed onion. Add the sweet potato and squashes, vegetable or chicken broth with the black beans. On medium low setting, let cook till simmering, 10 minutes. Turn off the heat and stir in the lemon juice.

• Taking a hand blender puree the soup. If using a counter top blender, it is best to wait till the soup cools slightly. Ensure you have a hand towel covering the top of the blender and that the container is filled half way and start at a low speed and gradually increase till pureed.

• Return to medium heat and add salt, pepper or Herbamare. Let simmer covered for 5 minutes.

• Garnish with cilantro.Serve with sourdough bread or whole grain crackers.

Meal Prep/Tips:

• If you opt to use dried beans, you will need to soak 1 cup overnight in a glass container with either seaweed (kombu) or 1 tbsp of apple cider vinegar to help break down the tough enzymes. Cooking time will be longer as you will need to cook the black beans. Add 1 - 1 1/2 hours to cook time.

• If you have more time, you can peel the squashes, plus sweet potato, dice them, place in baking pan and sprinkle with olive oil, salt, pepper and dried basil to enhance their flavour in soup. They will take on a more roasted flavour, rather than baked flavour.

• Serve with sourdough bread or whole grain crackers.

• you can substitute in pumpkin puree for the acorn squash

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