Creamy Butternut Squash Soup

(recipe adapted from May All Be Fed: Diet For A New World by John Robbins)

1 butternut squash (about 1 3/4 lbs.), peeled, cut into 2-inch cubes
4 1/2 cups vegetable stock
1/2 cup raw almonds
1 1/2 tsp. curry powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. freshly ground pepper
Chopped parsley leaves, to taste
1 tart apple, such as Granny Smith, peeled, cored, and finely chopped

Put the squash and three cups of the vegetable stock in a large pot.  Bring to a simmer over medium heat, then reduce the heat, cover and cook until the squash is tender, 15 to 20 minutes.

Blanch the almonds in boiling water for 30 seconds.  Drain.

Put the blanched almonds and the remaining 1 1/2 cups vegetable stock into a blender.  Blend until smooth, about 1 minute.  Add the squash and cooking liquid, curry, salt, pepper, parsley and apple and process until smooth.

Pour back into the pot and bring just to a simmer over medium heat.

Carrot-Ginger Soup

(recipe from Whole Foods Market)

Serves 4.

4 cups vegetable broth
1 yellow onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 tsp. freshly chopped ginger
1 lb. carrots, coarsely chopped
1 medium Yukon gold potato, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
1 tsp. lemon juice
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh chives

Heat 1/2 cup broth to a simmer in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat.  Add onion and garlic and cook until tender, about 6 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Stir in ginger, carrots, potato, and remaining broth and heat to a boil.  Reduce to a simmer, cover and cook 25 minutes or until vegetables are tender.  In batches, carefully puree in a blender.  Add water or broth, if needed, to thin to desired consistency.  Reheat soup if necessary.  Stir in lemon juice and garnish with chives.

Winter Squash and Apple Soup

(recipe from Whole Foods Market)

3 lbs. winter squash such as butternut, kabocha, acorn, or delicata (or mixture), peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks (about 8 cups)
2 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and cut into 1-inch chunks
1 yellow onion, chunked
4 cloves garlic, halved
1 tsp. ground ginger
3 cups vegetable broth
2 Tbsp. nutritional yeast
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

Preheat oven to 400F.  Line rimmed baking sheet(s) or shallow roasting pan(s) with parchment paper.  Mix squash, apples, onion, and garlic and spread mixture on baking sheets in a single layer.  Roast squash mixture until tender and beginning to brown, about 45 minutes, rotating pans halfway through baking, if needed.  Remove from the oven and puree squash mixture with broth, ginger, 1 cup water, and nutritional yeast in a blender in two batches until smooth.  Transfer to a medium saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat.  Add more water if needed to thin soup to desired consistency.  Serve garnished with parsley.

(A lovely pureed soup, more savory than sweet.  And so easy to make!)

Ethiopian-Spiced Pumpkin Bisque

(recipe from online site Fat-Free Vegan Kitchen)

1 small (about 3 lbs.) pie pumpkin or winter squash (about 3 cups cooked pumpkin)
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
3 cups vegetable broth
2 Tbsp. tomato paste
2-4 tsp. berbere spice mix (recipe follows)
1/2 to 1 cup non-dairy milk, as needed (I used almond milk)
2 tsp. lime juice
salt & pepper, to taste
pumpkin seeds for garnish, optional

To make the berbere spice mixture:
1 tsp. ground cardamom
1 tsp. ground coriander
1 tsp. ground fenugreek
1 tsp. ground nutmeg
1 tsp. ground cloves
1 tsp. ground allspice
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. turmeric
1 tsp. cayenne pepper (use less to decrease spiciness, or substitute paprika)
1 tsp. ground black pepper
1 tsp. ground sea salt (optional)

(This makes 4 Tbsp. of seasoning, but the bisque only calls for 2-4 tsp.  Store the leftover seasoning in a spice jar in a cool, dark place.)

Preheat oven to 350F.  Cut the pumpkin or squash in half and scrape out the seeds and strings.  Place cut-side up on a baking sheet and cover with foil (or place in a large, covered baking dish).  Bake for 30-40 minutes, or until flesh is very tender when pricked with a fork.  Remove and allow to cool until it can be handled comfortably.

Cook the onion in a large, non-stick pot over medium-high heat until it begins to brown.  (If it starts to stick, add a Tbsp. of water and stir well.)  Add the garlic and cook for another minute.  Add a splash of the broth to deglaze the pan, and then pour into a blender.  Scrape the pumpkin out of its shell and add the flesh to the blender, along with the remaining broth, tomato paste, and berbere spice mix.  Blend until smooth.

Pour the contents of the blender back into the pot, cover, and bring to a low boil.  Reduce heat to low and cook, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes.  Add the non-dairy milk, using as much as needed to reach the right consistency.  Add the lime juice, salt, pepper, and simmer for about 5 more minutes before serving.  Serve in shallow bowls, sprinkled with pumpkin seeds, if desired.

(1/8/12  Used the last of my frozen 2010 Halloween pumpkin puree!  I like that this soup is savory, not sweet as pumpkin soups often tend to be.  It is spicy!  Be careful with the berbere mix - add to taste.  Brought to work in canning jars for my lunches for the week, and enjoyed it every time.)