Butternut Squash Soup (In Half An Hour!)
By: Barbara Sinclair
Published: Tuesday, February 23, 2010 - 9:34pm

Ingredients




1 small butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into  cubes
2 smalls yellow onions, cut up
2 teaspoons butter, ghee, or olive oil
32 ounces organic vegetable broth (I like Pacifica)
1 can Eden adzuki beans or black eyed peas, rinsed and drained
Leftover quinoa, brown rice or millet
small Collard, kale, spinach or beet green
3 inches piece of kombu
Nutmeg, sea salt and pepper

Preparation

1 In large pot, saute onion in butter, ghee or olive oil until soft 2 Add cubed squash and saute for a couple of minutes 3 Add vegetable stock and kombu and bring to a boil 4 Reduce heat and simmer until squash is soft (about 15 minutes) 5 Using a slotted spoon, remove squash and puree in blender 6 Return squash to pot and stir in beans and grain 7 Add greens for about five minutes until soft 8 Add nutmeg, sea salt and pepper to taste

About


My stomach was growling this afternoon and as I was mulling over places to get a bowl of soup, I decided to practice what I preach about home cooking.
I stopped to pick up a butternut squash (the only ingredient I was missing in the soup I was conjuring up in my mind) and hurried home.  I have to admit that I have never really enjoyed cooking but since I have cleaned up my eating habits and like to know exactly what's in the food I'm eating, I'm slowly approaching my kitchen with less dread.
Being an artist, I've always been puzzled by why I was so unimaginative in the kitchen.  My family and friends (and especially my partner who is a chef) gently tease me when I measure things that really shouldn't need measuring (i.e. oatmeal!).  I'm trying hard to loosen up in this department so I was particularly proud of this day's lunch that I made up and whipped up in about a half an hour.
This is a great example of a complete meal made with fresh, whole foods that is easy, quick and satisfying.  Here's the recipe - feel free to alter it to your heart's content.  The only thing missing was the last pumpkin muffin that I ate at breakfast.  I'll include that recipe as well.