Winter Squash and Cauliflower Soup with Rosemary and Marsala

(recipe from The Vegan Gourmet by Susann Geiskopf-Hadler & Mindy Toomay)

1 1/2 lbs. winter squash, peeled, seeded, and diced (4 cups)
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, diced
1/4 tsp. dried red chili flakes
5 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp. dried rosemary, crushed
1/8 tsp. salt
4 cups vegetable stock
1 28-oz. can diced tomatoes
2 cups diced cauliflower
3/4 cup dried small shell pasta
1/3 cup Marsala

Heat the olive oil in a stockpot over medium-high heat for a moment, then add the onion and chili flakes.  Stir and sauté about 2 minutes, then stir in the squash, garlic, rosemary, and salt.  Saute about 7 minutes, stirring frequently, until the squash and onions are beginning to brown.  Add the stock and the tomatoes with their juice.  Cover and bring to a boil over high heat.  Stir in the cauliflower, pasta, and Marsala, and bring back to a boil over high heat.  Reduce heat to medium-high to maintain a strong simmer and cook about 12 minutes, until cauliflower is fork-tender and pasta is al dente.  Serve very hot.

Ginger Coconut Milk Soup

(recipe from 101 Cookbooks)

Two 14-oz. cans full-fat coconut milk
One 14-oz. can water (use the coconut milk can to measure)
2-inch knob of ginger, peeled and minced
3 large shallots, minced
1 tsp. salt, or to taste

Lots of seasonal vegetables, for example (use a bit of each to fill up the broth):
squash (summer or winter)
broccoli florets
asparagus, chopped
scallions, sliced
mushrooms, sliced

to serve:
lots of fresh lime juice and cilantro


In a large soup pot, over medium heat, bring the coconut milk, water, ginger, shallots, and salt to a gentle boil.  Dial back the heat and simmer for 5-10 minutes.

Add the vegetables to the simmering coconut milk, and cook until tender. 

Can be served alone, or over egg noodles or rice.  Finish with a generous squeeze of lime juice and lots of cilantro.

(This is my new favorite soup!  I've made it a couple of times now, it's so easy and flexible!  Just add any veggies you have on hand to the broth, really.  I add the lime juice and cilantro right into the soup pot at the end.  I've used broccoli, butternut squash, asparagus, mushrooms, and scallions in varying groupings, but I can't imagine many veggies that wouldn't taste fabulous with this savory, tangy coconut broth.)

Roasted Hubbard Squash Soup with Hazelnuts & Chives

(recipe from Fine Cooking magazine)

3 Tbsp. olive oil
3 large cloves garlic, peeled
1 Tbsp. coriander seeds
1 1/2 tsp. fennel seeds
1 1/2 tsp. dried sage
1 small (5 1/2-6 lbs.) Hubbard squash, halved lengthwise and seeded
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter (I used coconut oil)
1 large leek (white and light-green parts only), halved lengthwise and thinly sliced crosswise
2 medium carrots, peeled and cut into small dice
Kosher salt
5 cups vegetable broth
1 bay leaf
2 tsp. fresh lemon juice
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup hazelnuts, toasted, skinned, and chopped
2 Tbsp. thinly sliced chives
Several small pinches Espelette pepper or cayenne

Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 400F.  Line a heavy-duty rimmed baking sheet with parchment.

In a mortar and pestle, pound the oil, garlic, coriander seeds, fennel seeds, and sage until they resemble a coarse paste.  Rub the spice mixture on the flesh of the squash halves.  Set them cut side down on the prepared pan and roast until tender when pierced with a fork, about 1 hour.

Let cool, cut side up.  When cool enough to handle, scrape the flesh away from the rind - you'll need about 5 cups.

Melt the butter in a 5- to 6-quart Dutch oven over medium heat.  Add the leek, carrots, and a big pinch of salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until the leek is softened, 8 to 10 minutes.  Add the squash, broth, bay leaf, and 1 tsp. salt and bring to a boil over high heat.  Reduce the heat to a low simmer, cover, and cook for 30 minutes to develop the soup's flavor.

Remove the bay leaf and allow the soup to cool slightly.  Puree the soup in batches in a blender.  Return the soup to the pot and add the lemon juice.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Garnish with the chopped hazelnuts, chives, and Espelette or cayenne pepper.

(Nice flavor.  The recipe is a bit involved, and I followed all of the steps, but I wonder if  the grinding of the spices to rub on the roasting squash is necessary - perhaps just add the spices into the soup along with the broth?  Also, the hazelnuts add an interesting element, but I think could just as well be left out, as they are only garnish.)

West Indian Pumpkin with Jerk-Spiced Tempeh

(recipe from The New Vegan Cookbook by Lorna Sass)

For the tempeh:
8 oz. tempeh
3 Tbsp. soy sauce
2 Tbsp. vegetable oil, plus oil for preparing the pan
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
2 large cloves garlic, peeled and quartered
1 tsp. ground ginger
3/4 to 1 tsp. dried thyme
1/2 tsp. ground allspice
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
1/4 tsp. salt
1 medium vidalia or other sweet onion, peeled and cut into eighths
Hot sauce

For the pumpkin:
1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1 cup chopped onion
1 large green bell pepper, seeded and diced
One 15 oz. can diced tomatoes (with liquid)
1/2 to 1 cup unseasoned tomato juice, or water
3 to 4 Tbsp. marinade (reserved from the jerk-spiced tempeh)
1 to 2 tsp. curry powder
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/8 to 1/4 tsp. ground cloves
1/2 tsp. salt
2 1/2 lbs. calabaza pumpkin or butternut squash, peeled and cut into 3/4-inch cubes

With a fork, deeply prick the tempeh about 20 times on each side.  Cut into 1/2-inch dice.  Set aside.

In a blender, combine the soy sauce, oil, brown sugar, garlic, ginger, thyme, allspice, pepper, salt, and onion.  Puree until very smooth, about 1 minute.  Add hot sauce to taste.  Reserve 1/4 cup of the marinade.

Pour half of the remaining marinade into a storage container.  Add the diced tempeh.  Pour the rest of the marinade on top.  Cover, then shake gently to coat the tempeh evenly.  Set aside for 15 minutes (or refrigerate overnight).

While the tempeh is marinating, prepare the curried pumpkin:  Heat the oil in a large, heavy saucepan.  Cook the onion and green pepper over medium heat, stirring frequently, until softened, 4 to 5 minutes.  Stir in the tomatoes with their liquid, 1/2 cup tomato juice (or water), 3 Tbsp. of the reserved marinade, and the smaller amounts of curry, cinnamon, cloves, and salt.  Stir in the pumpkin.  Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the pumpkin is tender, 20 to 25 minutes.  During this time, adjust the seasoning by adding more marinade and spices if you wish.  Add more tomato juice or water if the sauce becomes too thick.

While the pumpkin is cooking, preheat the oven to 425F.  Brush a large nonstick baking sheet or roasting pan with oil (if nonstick, line with oiled foil).  Spread the marinated tempeh in the pan in one layer.  (It's okay if some of the unabsorbed marinade ends up in the pan.)  Bake until the color deepens and the top of each piece feels fairly dry and is no longer sticky to the touch, 10 to 12 minutes.  (Do not cook the tempeh longer than 12 minutes, as it will dry out.)

To serve, spoon the curried pumpkin onto dinner plates and set the jerk-spiced tempeh on top.

(I used butternut squash for this recipe.  The spice of this is incredible!  The marinade for the tempeh is amazing!  I actually added all of the remaining marinade to the pumpkin mixture.  The recipe is written out so well - it sounds involved but is incrediby easy to follow.)

Acorn Squash-Ginger Bisque

(recipe from an unknown magazine clipping)

2 medium acorn squash (about 1 1/2 lbs. each)
1/3 cup dry sherry
1 cup onions, chopped
2 cloves garlic, halved
1 1/4 cups red bell pepper, chopped
3 cups vegetable broth
1 cup unsweetened orange juice
2 tsp. ginger, peeled and grated
1/2 tsp. curry powder
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. salt

Preheat the oven to 350 F.  Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.  Slice each squash in half lengthwise, and place cut side down on prepared baking sheet.  Bake for 30 minutes or until tender.

Let cool, and remove seeds and membrane.  Scoop out pulp and set aside; discard remains.

In a large saucepan, bring sherry to a boil over medium-high heat.  Add onions and garlic; cook for 3 minutes and stir frequently.  Add bell peppers; continue to stir and cook for 3 minutes.

Add reserved squash pulp, broth, and remaining ingredients.  Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat and simmer 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Pour squash mixture into a blender or food processor and blend until smooth.  Ladle into bowls and serve warm.

Serves 7.

(A thick and delicious soup.  I also blended some canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce into some of the servings, with nice results.  If you remove the seeds from the squash before baking, you can bake them separately for a snack!)

Winter Squash and Apple Soup

(recipe from Whole Foods Market)

3 lbs. winter squash such as butternut, kabocha, acorn, or delicata (or a mixture of those), 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, chopped
4 cloves garlic, halved
1 tsp. ground ginger (I also threw in some chopped fresh ginger I had on hand)
3 cups vegetable broth
2 Tbsp. nutritional yeast
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

Preheat oven to 400F.  Line one or two rimmed baking sheets or shallow roasting pans with parchment paper.  In a large bowl, toss squash, apples, onion, garlic, and ginger until mixed well.  Spread mixture on baking sheets in a single layer.  Roast squash mixture until tender and beginning to brown, about 45 to 50 minutes, rotating pans between oven racks halfway through baking.  Remove from oven and puree squash mixture with broth, 1 cup water, and nutritional yeast in a blender or food processor in 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.

(Super easy soup!  I didn't have nutritional yeast, so I just threw in some cashews before blending.  I also added a little almond milk as part of the water.  Also, I just blended the parsley right in.  Good flavor, pretty hearty.  I had Mike over for dinner and he liked it.  The apples give a little sweetness.)

Better Than Chicken Soup

(recipe from Whole Foods Market)

Serves 4.

1 small yellow onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, sliced
1 tsp. ground turmeric
8 fresh shitake mushrooms, stemmed and sliced
4 cups vegetable broth
1 1/2 cups julienned fresh kale
1 cup cubed butternut squash
2 Tbsp. grated fresh ginger (or minced)
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
Juice of 1 fresh lemon
1 tsp. miso

In a pot, over medium heat, saute onion and garlic in 1/2 cup broth.  Add turmeric and mushrooms.  Saute 2 minutes.  Add broth, kale, squash, ginger, and cayenne.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes.  Remove from heat and let cool slightly, add lemon juice and miso (adding miso when still very hot will diminish its probiotic benefits).  Cover and let sit 5 minutes before serving.

(I also added 1 small chopped sunchoke to this soup.  Good soup, very spicy!)

Summer Harvest Ratatouille

(recipe from WholeFoodsMarket.com)

Serves 10

3 bell peppers, assorted colors, seeded, cored, and cut into thick wedges
1 large eggplant, cut into 3/4-inch slices
2 medium yellow squash, cut lengthwise into 3/4-inch slices
2 medium zucchini, cut lenghtwise into 3/4-inch slices
1 cup vegetable broth or water
1/2 cup pitted Nicoise or other black olives
5 large tomatoes (about 2 1/2 lbs.), chopped
1 large onion, chopped
7 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
3 Tbsp. chopped marjoram or oregano
1/3 cup chopped parsley
1 Tbsp. red wine vinegar, or to taste

Preheat oven to 425F.  Have ready a nonstick baking sheet or a regular baking sheet lined with parchment paper (you may need two baking sheets).  Place peppers, eggplant, squash and zucchini on sheet(s).  Roast vegetables, turning them once halfway through cooking, until browned, 30 to 40 minutes.  Cool vegetables slightly, then coarsely chop.

Meanwhile, combine broth and olives in a blender and blend until smooth.  Pour into a heavy pot and add tomatoes, onion, garlic and pepper flakes.  Bring to a boil, lower heat, cover, and simmer until tomatoes are very soft, about 20 minutes.

Add roasted vegetables and marjoram to pot; cover and simmer, stirring once or twice, until flavors blend, about 10 minutes.  Stir in parsley and vinegar; cook 5 minutes more.

(serve with rice, pasta, or any grain)

Summer Squash with Mint, Parsley, and Basil

(recipe from a magazine, not sure which one)

3 Tbsp. olive oil

1 1/2 lbs. mixed summer squashes, chopped

3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

12 basil leaves, chopped

6 mint leaves, chopped

A few sprigs Italian parsley, leaves chopped

salt & pepper

Juice from 1/2 lemon

Heat oil in a large saute pan over medium flame. Add squash; saute 5 minutes, until tender and barely brown. (Squash should retain shape and bright color.)

Add garlic; saute 1 minute. Remove from heat.

Add basil, mint, parsley, salt, pepper, and lemon juice. Toss. Serve immediately.

(Justin made this, and continues to make it! It is light and delicious.)