9.25.2014

recipe journal // 3

We have been greeted with cooler temperatures and breezy days this week in Athens! I've been sleeping with my window open and the A/C has been put to rest - straight up bliss I'm tellin' ya! All week my mind has been kept on making my first pot of soup of the season. I have this thing about doing things that fit with the weather. I think my body is really sensitive to temperature. When it's hot, I am really hot and when it's cold I am always "freezing." This means that I really cannot fathom wearing jeans when it is above 80 degrees outside and I would never want to eat hot soup unless it is at least chilly outside. Thanks to the 75 degree highs, I've gladly slipped on a pair of jeans and eaten a can of Trader Joe's split pea soup.

I made a big pot of black beans last week, so big that I ended up needing to freeze a container of em' so that they didn't go bad. I was at Trader Joe's on Sunday with my Mom who kindly bought me a butternut squash (thankful for her), among of things. Last night, I was thinking about these two ingredients and the soup that I make at least once every year popped into my head. I headed to Kroger after class to grab the few things I need to make this soup happen. Came home and got to work - this soup comes together super fast though, no lie.

Dear fall, happy that you came around this week, stick around please and don't let winter come too quick. Sincerely, Katie B.

BLACK BEAN & BUTTERNUT SQUASH SOUP //
adapted from Sprouted Kitchen

1 tsp. coconut oil (or other heat stable oil)
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. chipotle chili powder
2 tsp. cocoa powder
4 cups low sodium vegetable broth
3 cups cubed winter quash (butternut or delicata, skin removed)
2-3 cups cooked black beans (or 1 can)
2 heaping cups of sliced cabbage or bagged slaw
2 heaping cups sliced kale leaves

// method

melt the coconut oil in a large stockpot over medium heat. add chopped onion and a couple of pinches of salt, stir. cook over medium heat until translucent. add garlic and cook for another couple of minutes. add spices and stir. pour in vegetable broth, bring to simmer. add squash, beans, cabbage, and kale. simmer until squash is soft- about 20 minutes. Turn off the heat. At this point, I used my immersion blender to give the soup a few pulses so that it is thicker, but not smooth. You could put a portion of the soup in your blender or food processor or just leave it as is. Totally your preference. This will make around 6 bowls of soup. Store in fridge for up to a week or freeze.

Top off your bowl with tortilla chips, cilantro, and/or avocado slices.

Open up your windows and enjoy!




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