Butternut Squash Soup Infatuation

One of my goals for the month of October was to cook for my husband once a week. Well....I held up my bargain for 3 out of the 4 weeks....thanks to the lovely Butternut Squash collection my grandmother gave me when she visited last. She brought us 3 butternut squash, 2 acorn squash, a pumpkin .....and tons of corn. (If you couldn't guess, she lives near a farm)....and I thought to myself what am I going to do with all of that......

1) Make an edible fall decoration

2) Use the season's fruits to make delicious dinners....and keep WARM! (Side rant....this is our first time in a house in many years. No longer nestled in an apartment surrounded by other units....we've noticed it's much cooler in our 'draftier' hOMe). Hence, my recent infatuation with Soups!

Many of you who know me personally, will understand when I say...I'm do not cook, that gene was not passed on to me from my mother and grandmother's. I'm lucky to have married a man whose inherited a lovely cooking gene...and is not afraid to use it. So, when I say a recipe is easy....and it tastes good. It really is!

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Easy Recipe 1

Butternut Squash & Mung Beans

*Unsure where exactly we found this recipe online....but see how I tweaked it below in orange*

**This was my first time cooking with Mung Beans. They added a lovely flavor to the soup**

Ingredients:

• 1 cup whole mung beans, washed and drained ~ Used 1.5 cups
• 1/2 cup brown rice ~ used a bag of microwavable brown rice
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tsp dried thyme leaf OR 6 fresh sprigs ~ used dried thyme
• 2 tsp dried basil leaf OR 2 Tbsp fresh chopped ~ oops...forgot this
• 2 celery sticks, trimmed & chopped in 1/4 inch slices
• 1/2 medium head cauliflower, chopped in 2 inch pieces ~ didn't use this much, but wish I had. I used frozen cauliflower
• 1 medium butternut squash
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1/2 tsp gr cumin
• 1 tsp gr coriander
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• 1/2 tsp salt or to taste
• 1 Tbsp Braggs Liquid Aminos or soy sauce
• Fresh ground pepper to taste
• 1 bunch kale ~ I cheat a bit and buy the pre-washed Kale in a bag - usually found near the unwashed Kale
• Optional: 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley ~ oops...forgot this

Directions:

Quick Crockpot Method: ~ We have too small a small crockpot - so did this in a bit pot

** Based on my husband's suggestion...I did wash and drain the mung beans, but did not soak overnight. I cooked them in water as I was preparing the rest of the ingredients....was totally fine. I also did NOT soak rice overnight, because I used a bag of microwavable rice ** 

1. Wash and drain the mung beans, set aside to soak overnight in 4 cups cold water
2. Wash and drain the brown rice, set aside to soak overnight in 2 cups cold water
3. The next morning: - Nope...I didn't want to wait - see above
4. Preheat the crockpot on high - Used a Pot
5. Drain the beans, add 4 cups cold water, the rice and soaking water, and bring to a boil
6. Peel, seed and chop the butternut squash in 1 1/2 inch pieces
7. Trim and thinly slice the celery
8. Chop the cauliflower in 2 inch pieces
9. Add the beans and rice with cooking water, veggies, thyme, basil and bay leaf to the crockpot
10. Cover, turn heat to low and cook for 5 hours
11. Heat the oil on med in a large sauté or frying pan - didn't do this...just added Kale to soup right before we served
12. Remove stems and chop kale in 1 - 2 inch pieces
13. Add the spices to the oil and heat for a moment
14. Add the kale and sauteé until limp - didn't do this...just added Kale to soup right before we served
15. Using a rubber spatula to scrape the pan, transfer kale, spices and oil to the crockpot. Swish a little water in the pan to get all the spices
16. Add the salt, pepper, Braggs or soy sauce, optional fresh parsley, and serve

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Easy Recipe 2

Big O

Joking around, I started calling this the Big O soup...but it could easily be called the 4 O's, because the 4 main ingredients are orange. No recipe, just my husband and I talking on the phone about what we had in the Fridge and in our cabinets to avoid a grocery store excursion...low and behold...we've got a soup, or more like a stew:

Ingredients:

The 4 O's

• Butternut Squash
• Carrots
• Reddish/Orange-ish Lentils
• Sweet Potato

Other Ingredients

• Celery
• Chickpeas
• Onion
• Garlic
• Spices...really anything you want. I put in some Cumin, Cinnamon, Ginger, Curry, Turmeric, Garam Masala
• Bay Leaf
• Vegetable Stock

A chopper makes life a lot easier

Directions:

Chop all ingredients --> Put in Pot with Vegetable Stock & Water --> Enough to cover ingredients --> Bring to a boil --> Simmer until Squash and Potato are soft --> EAT

Wishing you a lovely Fall, full of Warmth, Pumpkin Carving, Hot Apple Cider....and hopefully a few Butternut Squash soups (or rather stews) are in your future!