““You don’t need to know what it’s supposed to taste like: what anything is supposed to taste like, at any point in its cooking, is good.””
INGREDIENTS
1 kabocha squash (about 3 or 4 pounds) OR!...a similarly sized butternut squash OR!...or 4 sweet potatoes
1 cup raw cashews or coconut milk
2 quarts of veggie stock (or grab your garbage stock!)
1 large onion
3-4 cloves garlic
½ teaspoon Silk chili* (or more if you like a little heat)
1 tablespoon cumin
1 teaspoon sweet paprika
1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon salt (adjust to taste)
½ cup olive oil/ coconut oil/ any neutral oil (safflower, canola)
2 limes or 1-2 tablespoons of white wine/apple cider/rice vinegar
Cilantro and toasted pumpkin seeds for garnish
*You can use any mild, moist, sweet chili- like Aleppo- or red pepper flakes. My favorite is from Burlap & Barrel. It’s direct trade, sustainable, and super flavorful, and they support Queer Anga and other queer food/farming projects through donations, so let’s support them too!
RECIPE!
Preheat the oven to 425.
Cut squash in half vertically and scoop out the seeds.
Wash off the slime and spread them out on a paper towel to dry. You can toss them in some oil, salt, and spices and toast them to use as garnish later or you can save them to plant, if you have outdoor access!
Tuck the squash halves into a baking dish tight enough to keep them upright (or use some bunched up tinfoil to keep them upright).
Rub the insides of the squash with about half of the cumin, paprika, and salt then snuggle the garlic cloves inside. (The rest of the spices you’ll use shortly). Pour about half of the oil over the squash boats and all their goodies to thoroughly coat them then cover with tinfoil.
Roast until the squash are soft enough to be easily pierced with a spoon, take them out, uncover, and let cool.
(If you’re using sweet potatoes, peel, chop, and toss with the spices, oil, and garlic then cover and roast until tender)Coat the bottom of a soup pot with the rest of the oil and place over low heat. Stir in the onions, cashews (if you’re using them), and the rest of the spices (including the chili flakes now). I always add spices at the beginning so they seep into the oil and then I add more later if need be so the flavor builds throughout the cooking of the dish.
Sauté until soft, usually around 10 minutes.
Scoop the roasted garlic and the flesh of the squash into the pot- or just dump in the sweet potatoes and their juices.
Stir everything together to integrate.
Note: You can save the squash skins to chop up and coat with some more olive oil and spices and re-crisp in the oven to throw into hashes or salads or rice dishes. If you have a Vitamix, you can actually throw it all into the soup and just blend longer. However, most blenders aren’t able to get your soup to a pleasing smooth, creamy texture with the peels left in.Add about ¾ of the stock- the liquid should be two fingers’ width above the ingredients in the pot. You’ll add the coconut milk here if you’re using it instead of cashews.
Bring the soup to a boil, turn off the heat, and let it cool for a little while.
Puree (either in batches or all at once, depending on the size of your blender), adding more stock as needed.
Note: If you don’t have any more veggie stock left, you can use miso paste and hot water to make a little more flavorful liquid or just add water and correct the seasoning accordingly.Wipe out the pot and pour the soup back in once it’s all smooth and creamy.
Add acid to taste: stir in the juice of a couple of limes or dashes of vinegar. If it’s still quite thick, add a bit more stock or water. Adjust the seasoning to taste.
Serve! Sprinkle some cilantro, your toasted seeds, and chili on top.
Greek yogurt and caramelized onions could also be yummy.
Bon appetito!
