Butternut Squash Soup

Squash is definitely one of my favorite vegetables. It is not only delicious but also lasts forever. The squash I used for this recipe sat on the counter for four weeks without it going bad, and one can most certainly have a squash sitting around for much longer than four weeks.

With my squash I made a simple squash soup. The soup has a delicate flavor, while being smooth and creamy. It also has a distinct taste of ginger and the freshness of a parsley garnish.

As you may notice, the recipe does not include a chicken or vegetable stock. Being vegan I always used vegetable broth, but being a college student who only recently moved into her house, I unfortunately did not have any. Fortunately, just boiling vegetables in water gives it a wonderful flavor. (side note: if you are not in a living situation where you can compost, save up your vegetable scraps for a few days in the fridge. Then boil them up, drain the liquid into a separate container and you've got yourself a very nice vegetable stock. After boiling all the flavor and wonderful nutrients out of your vegetables to make a broth, you will feel much less guilty about throwing you veggie scraps in the trash.)

I personally like this soup as a meal. The other night I ate it with some french bread and it was very satisfying. However, I know that for a lot of people that is just not enough calories. If you want more body to the soup add some white beans, which are packed with protein. You could also serve it with a veggie on the side, like corn, salad, or steamed kale. Or eat it as a side dish.

Butternut Squash Soup

1 small butternut squash (pealed and chopped into chunks 1/2-1 inch)

1 carrot

3 stalks celery

1/2 onion

1 clove garlic

4 cups water

salt and pepper to taste

1 bay leaf

1 1-inch chunk of ginger (I used 2 tsp powdered ginger because that's all I had)
1/4 tsp cloves

1/4 cup soy milk

chopped parsley

saute onion, celery, carrot, and crushed garlic. Add squash, water, and everything else except the parsley and milk. Bring to boil. Then uncover and let cook on low for a half hour. Pull out the bay leaf (so it doesn't get chopped up), and puree all the veggies together. Put the bay leaf back in. continue to cook uncovered until it reaches a nice consistency(1/2 hour). Then add soy milk. Pour in bowls and garnish with parsley (about 1 Tbs each). Eat.