Miso Squash and Chickpea Soup and More…

Butternut Squash

I’m obsessed with this soup - it’s worth gathering the plethora of ingredients to create this soup. Imagine coming home after a long, cold day, hungry and tired and you have this soup waiting for you in the fridge to warm up. and enjoy! Now, that’s preparation at it's best!

A bowl of soup helps you stay warm and cozy. Soup can and very often serves as a meal in a bowl in my home. I am obsessed with creating soups all year round. They are so easy and you can sneak almost anything into a soup pot - with guidance and the right seasonings, of course! It’s a magical bowl of healthy veggies, beans, legumes, spices and herbs. Win! Win!

I love having a pot of soup in the fridge ready to warm up when I’m hungry after a long day. Plan to succeed! In minutes my soup is steaming hot on the oven, and it saves me from grabbing stuff in the pantry that I’m better off not eating. You got my drift?!

Mise En Place - a lot of ingredients to have in place ready to go

Recipe:

2 tsp coconut oil
1 tsp mustard seeds or 3/4 tsp dry mustard powder
1. tsp turmeric
1 leek thinly sliced
3 tbsp ginger root peeled and finely chopped
6 garlic cloves divide for recipe 3 cloves during cooking and 3 later
6 cups water or broth
kombu seaweed 4 inches long
4 cups of your favorite squash chopped
1 large carrot chopped
6 shiitake mushrooms remove stems and slice
2 cups cooked chickpeas or 1 15 oz canned chickpeas rinse and drain
1 1/2 tsp miso
2 tbsp lemon juice
2 heads of baby bok choy coarsely chopped or 1 cup of spinach or kale optional
salt and pepper to taste

- use a large pot and heat coconut oil until melted
- add mustard seeds, turmeric and stir to mix
- cover pot and allow the seeds to pop - 1 minute
- stir in leeks, ginger, and half of the garlic (three cloves) - 1 minute
- add water or broth and add the kombu seaweed, squash, carrots, mushrooms and chickpeas
- cover pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until squash and carrots are tender - 30 minutes
- if you are adding bok choy or spinach or kale, stir it in at the end of cooking time for 5 minutes
- soup is ready - remove the kombu unless you want to eat it - it IS edible!
- take 1/2 cup of broth from pot and add the miso until the miso is dissolved completely. Stir in the miso and add the rest of the garlic (3 cloves), lemon juice, and salt and pepper to taste

Kombu Seaweed

Genia’s Spoon Me Tips: I mentioned that you can use your favorite squash in this soup although this soup is created with winter in mind - a.k.a colder months, and therefore, squashes with thicker skin are more warming and maintain their shape in the soup because of its harder meat - play on words - this soup IS vegan!

I love using kombu or other seaweeds in my cooking when I can and when I remember to include them. Trust me, seaweeds are a great addition to your pantry. Kombu is an edible seaweed - it’s a kelp if that makes more sense to you lol. Kombu is super healthy! It is high in iodine, which is essential for thyroid function, has iron, calcium, and vitamins A and C. Time to get your kombu! Health food stores and Whole Foods will carry a variety of seaweeds. Explore the ocean life and bring it into your kitchen. Thank you nature!

Miso - is a traditional Japanese seasoning called umami. It’s used in many dishes made from fermented soybeans, salt and other add ons like grains and seaweed. It comes in a paste. Miso tastes savory with a salty-sweet richness. It is salty so be careful with how much you use. It’s delicious, though! Know your limitations and add the paste in soups and grains in moderation. Miso provides protein, vitamins and aids in digestion, too. I even used the paste in my salad dressings. Soy sauce is a great substitute for miso, although, if you can get your hands on miso it’s a treat and lasts forever in the fridge.

Thank you to all my talented Ayurvedic cooks out there for inspiring me to create this soup. I love reading recipes for enjoyment and figuring out the best combo of veggies and spices that appeal to me and my family and are seasonal, healing and of course delicious. Cooking with a purpose is my kitchen mantra!

A hearty bowl of love,
Genia