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Cast Iron Skillet Crispy Kale
Cast Iron Skillet Crispy Kale is a favorite easy weeknight side dish for us. Cast Iron Skillet Crispy Kale is ready in under 10 minutes, under 5 if you are in a rush and don’t care about the crispiness factor. Best part, kale is one of the most nutrient-dense foods on the planet, so this Cast Iron Skillet Crispy Kale tastes great and it’s great for you, too! WIN WIN!
I am all about the simple, easy, weeknight dishes but I especially love nutrient-dense, brain-boosting foods that are easy to prepare and include in the weekly repertoire.
One of the world’s most nutrient dense foods, kale is an inexpensive way to load up on important vitamins, minerals and other nutrients. Kale is incredibly rich in Vitamin C (more than 4.5 times what you can find in spinach and 1 cup of raw kale has more vitamins C than a whole orange). Kale is also one of the world’s best sources of Vitamin K, with 1 cup of raw kale containing more than 7 times the recommended daily amount, Vitamin K is an important nutrient involved in blood clotting.
Kale is also a great source of B6 and other B Vitamins. Kale like other leafy greens is a rich source of antioxidants, specifically Beta-Cerotene, an antioxidant the body can turn into Vitamin A, along with various polyphenols and flavonoids, including two flavonoids, quercetin and kaempferol known for being heart protective, anti-inflammatory, anti-viral and so much more. Kale actually contains over 45 different flavonoids! WOAH!
Lutein and zeaxanthin, catenoid antioxidants these are the nutrients that give kale its deep, dark green coloring and they are protective against macular degeneration and cataracts. Kale is also high in many minerals people are often deficient in, some of the minerals found in kale include calcium, magnesium, manganese, potassium, phosphorus, zinc, copper, iron, to name a few.
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Mini Frittata Egg Bites {gluten-free, paleo, keto, whole30}
These Mini Frittata Egg Bites are a wonderful, easy-to-make, one-bite breakfast treat that is perfect for entertaining, great for the holidays, light, simple and super, duper customizable. Read on for lots of flavor options.
One of the perks of this strange career path I have embarked on, is the incredible experiences and opportunities to understand and investigate our food further. I consider it a great blessing that I am able to get behind the scenes and truly see where our food is coming from – as this is of high importance to me, to learn, to educate myself and to share with all of you, to hopefully empower you with the knowledge to make the best choices for your family.
To boil it down quite simply, first, personally I want my food to be nutrient-dense and second, I want it to be bullsh*t free! As a long supporter of Vital Farms I was beyond honored when they asked if I would come to Missouri to tour some of their farms, to meet the growers and most importantly to see how their Girls on Grass live, the pastures they graze on and a peek behind the scenes at how they run things.
I am beyond excited to share that everything this company boasts if truly a reality. No BS! Right down to Stuart, the farmer featured in their incredible new campaign, he’s a real farmer, with Vital Farms. I spent the afternoon on his farm. Across the board on all of Vital Farms’ farms, the beautiful hens are raised under humane conditions and they have time on pasture, daily, each bird getting a minimum of 108sqft of pasture to roam (compared to less than 1 foot that a cage-free hen gets or the 2sqft that a free-range hen receives).
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Miso Roasted Brussels Sprouts
As we head into the holidays, the focus obviously shifts to any and all dishes for entertaining. Side dishes and treats, mains and snacks. ‘Tis the season of all the eating! The Miso Roasted Brussels Sprouts are begging to be the star at your Thanksgiving or Christmas meal! Trust me, this is a veggie that can steal the show!
I enjoy creating the sweets and treats recipes, because let’s be real, the joy that healthy treats can bring is palpable. I’d like to wrap that feeling up with a pretty bow and give it as a gift. That said, when it comes to the holidays, my heart will forever remain with sides and veggies. I love a good, plant-based side dish. So much room for creativity in the vegetables. The mains are usually pretty traditional, those are generally on lock down. I just truly enjoy the challenge of creating exciting enough veggie dishes that will please the masses and especially those that won’t be the forgotten soldier at a table full of meaty mains and their carb-loaded friends. I literally have made it my mission when I feed people to make the vegetable(s) the first thing to disappear from the plate, rather than the last. This dish 100% is successful at doing exactly that.
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Grilled Scallop and Veggie Skewers with Green Tahini
I am not sure about all of you, but our grill becomes the center of many meals this time of year. Without any AC at all and many hot summer days of working from home, tossing a light and healthy meal on the grill at the end of a sweaty work day sounds like the perfect idea. But, also a perfect idea? Dinners that can be thrown together start to finish in under 30 minutes.
These Grilled Scallop and Veggie Skewers with Green Tahini are what summer weeknight meal dreams are made of. I love serving these alongside an herby cauli-rice. They’d also be great with regular rice, other grains of your choosing or atop a big green salad.
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Grain-free Veggie Enchiladas with Roasted Hatch Chile Cashew Cream
Is there anyone out there that doesn’t like Mexican food? I mean really! I feel like there’s a reason that every Taco Tuesday is celebrated with such enthusiasm and why Cinco de Mayo has turned into a way bigger deal here in the US than it is even in Mexico.
But, I digress, I think it’s just a given that everyone loves the food. Though oftentimes most Mexican food is naturally gluten-free, if you prefer to avoid grains, if you like to limit your corn and dairy, if you tend to avoid beans, or if you are mindful of where your meat comes from and how it is raised – it can leave very few options when dining out at traditional Mexican joints. A lettuce wrapped taco is good, but it’s just not the same. I pack my own plantain chips if we are going out for Mexican, but ya know – they are no tortilla chips. So, of course, I am always looking for other ways to enjoy delicious, healthy Mexican food, grain-free and dairy-free, at home.
I was craving enchiladas recently and I thought it was time I created some, with my spin on it. You may remember I created and shared a tutorial on How-to Make Plantain Tortillas a while back and while I absolutely love them, I just wasn’t sure they would hold up in this recipe. So instead I turned to the Urban Poser’s amazing Cassava Flour Tortillas. These tortillas (made with cassava flour), they are serious business, chewy and flexy, they hold up incredible well and they aren’t too much work to make – once you get into the rhythm. They held up fantastically well in this recipe. No breaks and no splits. Clearly you can opt for any tortillas you’d like here, I just love that these allow for grain-free enchiladas. Read the rest of this entry »
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Veggie Mole Bowl
This month for my ongoing series with Beachgreens Organic Produce Delivery rather than focusing on a single vegetable or fruit, we wanted to share a recipe featuring one of our favorite local foods, this Mole Monarca sauce from Peppered Up, right here in Long Beach. This traditional red mole sauce is inspired by owner Griselda’s mother and grandmother and it stays true to its roots from central Mexico.
This sauce has incredible flavor notes. Rich, dark, smoky and earthy with a spicy kick, this unique blend of peppers, spices, seeds and nuts can literally turn any dish into a party! For those following along with my Autoimmune Protocol journey, you can obviously guess that this isn’t bowl of deliciousness sadly doesn’t fit my current restrictions. I created this recipe before I started AIP earlier this month, so I was able to happily able to enjoy it then. Now I am just dreaming of it, it’s that good!
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Grilled Summer Veggie Gazpacho
I am super excited to share with you guys this amazing summery, chilled soup recipe, aka one of my most favorite ways, currently, to enjoy the flavors of the season. The whole idea for this Grilled Summer Veggie Gazpacho was inspired by one of my new favorite kitchen staples, vegan stocks and broths from Massel.
Earlier this year while at the Expo West Natural Products Convention, I had the pleasure of not only meeting the amazing Blender Girl, Tess Masters, who has quickly become one of my favorite people, but in meeting her I was also introduced to Massel, an amazing brand, new to America, hailing from her home country of Australia. Massel makes high-quality easy-to-use bouillons, stock cubes, seasoning granules and Concentrated Liquid Stock. All of their incredible all-natural products are gluten-free and vegan, so they can essentially be enjoyed by all, regardless of dietary restrictions. Massel never adds MSG and all of their ingredients are non-GMO. Besides all of that, the best part about their bouillons are how they taste just like homemade stocks.
Though I am not strictly vegan or vegetarian myself, I do try to limit the amount of meat I consume. If I cannot get high-quality meat from our local farmer or at the farmers market, I much prefer to eat vegetarian. When it comes to homemade stocks and soups, I generally tend to use leftover bones from our grass-fed meat and/or whatever veggies I have on hand, to make a stock every other week or so. But this just isn’t always a possibility, sometimes I need quick and easy, but I still want healthy and real.
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Infused Waters to Keep You Hydrated this Summer
We all know how important it is to stay hydrated, year round, but this is especially important in the summer. When the weather is hot and you are spending much of the day outside being active, it is extra important to drink more fluids than usual and most especially that you are doing so before you start feeling thirsty – as that is a sure sign you are on your way to dehydration.
Did you know that every single cell in the human body needs water to function properly? Much like the plants in your garden, your cells, too, can perk up immediately upon watering. It’s that simple.
What Does Water Do in My Body?
Water Helps Your Body with the Following:
- Getting rid of waste through urination, perspiration, and bowel movements.
- Keeping it’s temperature normal.
- Lubricating and cushioning your joints.
- Protecting your spinal cord and other sensitive tissues.
Tips for Drinking More Water:
- Drink a glass of water as soon as you wake up in the morning (I prefer mine warm with a little lemon).
- Carry a dedicated bottle or container with you are all times, at work, at home, even if you are just out running a few errands.
- Use an app on your mobile phone to track your water intake or simply set an alert on your phone to remind you.
- Choose water at restaurants instead of other beverages. not only will you save on calories while simultaneously hydrating yourself, but it also saves money.
- When you are hungry, start with a glass of water before you reach for the snack. sometimes feelings of hunger are actually your body telling you that it’s thirsty. it may just curb the cravings.
- Drink before you eat. 16 ounces 30 minutes before every meal can actually keep you from over indulging. make this a regular practice and you might even find yourself losing weight.
- Infuse and flavor your own water.
Today, I am sharing with you one of my very favorite ways to stay hydrated during the summer months…
INFUSED WATER!
Infused water is not only a tasty way to stay hydrated but it is nutritional, healthy, fresh and all-natural!
How-to Make Infused Water:
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Cauliflower Lentil Veggie Burger with Spicy Turmeric Aioli {Gluten-free + Dairy-free}
There is nothing quite like a good comforting and satisfying veggie burger. I stopped eating store-bought veggie burgers a long time ago, after I realized what is in most of them – weird fillers, preservatives and other strange things that I am not even sure are food. I started rethinking buying them and I can’t tell you the last time I did. Making my own veggie burgers is something I really enjoy, I can create something unique and flavorful usually with whatever I have on hand.
I created these veggie burgers with some of the beautiful cauliflower we had in our CSA box. I was starting to get sick of roasted cauliflower and was looking for a new and creative ways to use up some of the many heads of cauliflower we had on hand. I started thinking about the amazing quality that cauliflower takes on when you steam it and puree it, like mashed potatoes. It’s so thick and I knew it would bind together and work well in a veggie burger.
I won’t lie and tell you this veggie burger is as good as “the real thing” or that it’s “meaty”. For me, veggie burgers aren’t meant to replace a beef burger, there really is no comparison to a good grass-fed beef burger, but – in my mind, a veggie burger is it’s own thing. A yummy comforting meal on it’s own.
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Roasted Veggie Shepherd’s Pie with Sweet Potato Topping – Vegan + Gluten-free
I am so excited that it’s comfort-food season!! As much as I adore the fresh local produce and cool and light dishes of the summer, there is something about the hearty, hot and comforting foods of the winter that are so enticing. A good comfort food meal will leave you feeling like you just got the biggest, warmest hug from your favorite loved one! Even better when it can be healthy comfort food! What’s your favorite comfort food?
Although this isn’t technically a one-pot meal, since it requires some prep, it is in theory and in it’s final state. I love a meal where it’s all inclusive. One big scoop and you are all set. Plus, a meal like this is perfect for leftovers. For some reason, I find meals like this even better as leftovers, I am not sure if it’s because I didn’t spend all the time prepping just before, or if it just really allows the flavors to come together to their fullest.
Please keep in mind, I used what vegetables I had on hand and what I would like best for the filling, but feel free to have some fun and add in whatever you’d like. Other wonderful add-ins for the filling would be squash, cauliflower, corn, green beans, asparagus, peas, lentils, beets, turnips, meat or tofu, etc, etc. The possibilities are endless. You could make this many times, each a totally different way. Another thing to note, you don’t have to roast your vegetables if you don’t want to. You could simply sautee them in a large pan on the stove top, I just personally love the flavor of roasted vegetables. I didn’t exactly accurately measure, so use my measurements below as a guide, but don’t get too hung up on the specifics, there really is no wrong way.
[print_this]Roasted Veggie Shepherd’s Pie with Sweet Potato Topping – Vegan + Gluten-free
Serves 4-6Filling:
(please keep in mind you can really use whatever veggies you would like and prefer, this is just what I had on hand.)- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 small head broccoli, cut into small florets
- 1-2 cups pearl onions, peeled and halved, if need be (I used fresh, not frozen)
- 1 small bulb of kohlrabi, peeled and sliced
- 2 cups brussels sprouts, halved
- 1 leeks, rinsed very well, slice thinly white and light green parts only
- 2-3 carrots, peeled and cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces
- 2 celery stalks, diced
- 1/2 cup sun dried tomatoes, thinly slices
- 1 15 ounce can of organic white beans
- 8 ounces cremini mushrooms, sliced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- Fresh or dried herbs, to your liking – I used both fresh rosemary and fresh thyme
- salt and pepper, to taste
Sauce:
- 1 1/2 cups vegetable stock (or other stock like chicken or mushroom, etc)
- 2 tablespoons tapioca starch (potato or corn starch would also work)
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 1 teaspoon herbes de Provence
Sweet Potato Topping:
- 4 medium organic sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
- 1 large clove garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons oil or butter (olive oil, coconut oil, butter, vegan butter, ghee, etc)
- splash of non-dairy milk (I used a bit of coconut milk)
- salt and pepper, to taste
Preheat the oven to 425ºF.
Toss all of your vegetables, leaving out the white beans, mushrooms and sun dried tomatoes, together with olive oil, fresh herbs, salt and pepper in a roasting pan. Place in the oven and roast for about 20 to 25 minutes, until the veggies are slightly tender and beginning to brown. While the veggies are roasting, quickly sautee the mushrooms with a small drizzle of olive oil over a medium high heat. Take the roasted vegetables out when they are ready and toss in the white beans, sauteed mushrooms and sun dried tomatoes.
Lower the oven temperature to 375ºF.
In a small saucepan heat the stock for your broth plus your herbs, over a medium-high heat, once simmering, carefully whisk in your starch to thicken. To avoid lumps, sprinkle it in lightly a little at a time or add some stock to a small bowl with the starch in and whisk quickly to fully incorporate. Once the veggies are done and all together, pour the sauce over, don’t add it all at once, you may not want it all, depending on how many veggies you have.
Pour the filling evenly into a very lightly greased glass baking pan and set aside. Meanwhile boil the sweet potatoes with the garlic in a medium saucepan full of water over a high heat. Once boiling, continue simmering for about 10-12 minutes until the sweet potatoes are nice and tender. Quickly drain the potatoes and then add back to the pot, add your oil or butter (or vegan butter) and mash with a potato masher, a hand mixer, etc. until smooth and creamy. Add a splash a non-dairy milk if you need a bit more liquid or to give just a hint of creaminess. Salt and pepper to taste.
Smooth the mashed sweet potatoes over the filling, using a spatula to spread evenly. Place in the 375ºF oven and bake for 30 – 35 minutes until the filling is bubbling. If you wish to get a bit of crispy brown goodness on top, place your shepherd’s pie under the broiler for a few minutes.
Let cool for a few minutes then serve while hot.
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Mango Banana Green Smoothie – Gluten-free + Vegan
I figured as long as I am on a smoothie kick, I will continue to share my recipes with you guys. It’s been a bit of a busy work week and I just haven’t been motivated to make many large involved recipes, plus I am waiting on a shipment of almond flour to make a few recipes that have been in the queue for this week. I’ve been cooking pretty simple recipes for dinner and quick easy salads and other veggies for lunch. As much as I love cooking, when the rest of my life feels hectic and busy, it is hard sometimes to muster up the energy to want to be patient and take photos after I do all the cooking. I love creating the recipes, I love cooking and I really love eating, but sometimes setting up for the photos, worrying about lighting and stressing about props is just more than I can handle. I want my photos to be as good as they can be, so I think I tend to put way too much pressure on myself, in that way.
This morning, after a somewhat restless night of sleep, I actually slept in a little bit (until 8:30am) and didn’t make it to yoga, so I decided to make a smoothie first thing and enjoy it outside on the patio. I had no real plans of sharing the recipe or taking photos, but after I took the first sip I decided it was way too good not to share (plus I wanted to tell you guys about the yummy green superfood powder). So, I ended up grabbing my camera quick and setting up a really fast shoot for the smoothie, trying not to stress over details. No harm, no foul. Until…. the wood backdrop that you see behind all of the ingredients in the photo below, decided to fall forward and spill almond milk everywhere, it was the last of the almond milk in the house and was supposed to be enough to make a smoothie tomorrow. Not exactly the way to start a day. I took a really deep breath (OK maybe I threw the wood in anger first, then took the deep breath) and cleaned it up. At any rate, thankfully I got a few decent photos before that whole fiasco, but I have to say, I am not gonna lie, editing these photos definitely gave me a little anxiety thinking about that crash, and the almond milk spilling everywhere.
OK, enough of all that, let’s talk smoothie…many times I just make up my smoothie recipes as I go and this morning I was pleasantly surprised with the results. I really wanted to include some veggies but since I was out of kale and didn’t have any spinach, I decided to add a scoop of Orange Dreamsicle Green SuperFood from Amazing Grass. They aren’t paying me to say any of this, it is a product I grabbed at the Lexington CoOp a while back after they had someone there offering samples. I was impressed with the taste, but I also love that one single scoop helps provide you with your 5 to 9 daily servings of veggies. Not too bad for a small unassuming scoop of gluten-free and vegan green powder.
The powder has a very subtle orange creamsicle flavor and it isn’t chalky or strange, it pairs nicely in fruit smoothies as well as a smoothie with cocoa powder and almond butter. I bought this container back in March and I still have a decent amount left. Each container has about 30 servings and once opened you store it in the refrigerator for optimal freshness. The Orange Dreamsicle flavor is so good I have on occasion mixed it with just water or almond milk for a quick green pick me up. You should definitely give it a try if you are looking for ways to add more greens into your diet.
[print_this]Mango Banana Green Smoothie – Gluten-free, Vegan + Refined Sugar-free
serves 1- 1 cup unsweetened organic vanilla almond milk (or any non-dairy milk of your choice)
- 1 organic banana, preferably frozen
- 3/4 cup frozen organic diced mango
- 5-7 drops of NuNaturals Liquid Vanilla Alcohol-Free Stevia (or any other sweetener of your choice)
- 1 scoop of Green SuperFood Powder (if you don’t have this or something like this but you still want greens, add 1 cup of
- spinach or kale or just leave it out)
- 1 handful of ice if your banana isn’t frozen
Add all of the ingredients to the blender and blend until smooth and creamy. If it is too thick, add more almond milk or some water to thin it.
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Tom Kha Gai (Thai Coconut Soup) Gluten-free + Dairy-free, w/Vegan options
I am really obsessed with Thai food. I actually crave the flavors of Thai food quite often. Honestly, if we could go out for Thai food once a week, I would be totally content. However, we really try to not eat out very often, and I also really prefer to know what exactly is in my food. So, what better way to get what you want, then to just make it yourself. I started looking around at different authentic Thai recipes online and quickly learned to be able to really get the authentic flavors, I would need the proper ingredients. I planned to make Pad Thai and this Tom Kha Gai Soup over the weekend so I had to get all of my ingredients in order to do so. Seeing as a couple of the ingredients I was looking for didn’t exist in my regular circle of grocery shopping, this meant it was time for an adventure. I found there were two different Asian markets on Niagara Street in Downtown Buffalo, conveniently on my way home from yoga, so Saturday morning after my yoga practice, I took my little list and headed over to Niagara Street, feeling very intimidated.
First up, I stopped at A’Chau Oriental Food Market at 833 Niagara St., this is where I was able to grab most of what I needed to make my Pad Thai and Tom Kha Gai Soup, however they were out of fresh kaffir lime leaves. So, after really walking the aisles and grabbing some things not on my list, I headed over to Niagara Asian Market at 937 Niagara Street, where they had fresh kaffir lime leaves and a HUGE basement full of ingredients. In addition to the things I was looking for, I grabbed a few more that caught my eye. I actually picked up a HUGE 4-lb bag of gram flour aka chickpea flour, for just $4.99. I see lots of soccas in my near future! Both markets had so many ingredients I was already familiar with and so many that I had never heard of. They both had unlimited selections of rice noodles, rice flour, tapioca starches, palm sugar etc, available at very inexpensive prices. I could go nuts in those places for sure.
I also grabbed a bag of these Pandanus flavored Crispy Rolls from India, because they caught my eye only having 6 ingredients, coconut milk, tapioca starch, sesame, sugar, salt and pandanus extract. Naturally gluten-free and vegan, what isn’t to like? To be honest, I didn’t (and still don’t) really have a clue what pandanus is, but I didn’t care, I went for it. Some of the best foods and flavors I have discovered that I love are by completely chancing it and trying something totally new. These crispy rolls are super light and crispy, delicious and very satisfying, I love the crunch and the subtle sweetness. Looks like I will be stopping by these Asian markets a lot more than I had planned.
Once I got the few ingredients I couldn’t easily find – specifically the kaffir lime leaves and the galangal root, making this soup was an breeze. I ended up making it for lunch on Sunday! Tom Kah Gai soup has always been one of my favorites. Even when I know I am going to order some type of noodle dish at a Thai restaurant, which is more than enough food, I always feel obligated to order this soup, just because I don’t know when I will have the opportunity again. Now that I know how easy it is to make, I will just make it at home. The flavors in this soup are intense and so wonderful. The bright fresh flavor from the lemongrass is definitely the star of the show, but you get an equal burst of flavor from the keffir lime leaves. It is amazing what a punch those little guys pack! The galangal also brings a pungent flavor very similar to ginger, spicy with a little bit of bite. A little goes a long way with galangal. If you can’t find it easily, ginger will also work great here. Traditionally this soup is made with homemade chicken stock and along with diced or shredded chicken breast. I didn’t have any homemade stock at home so I went with some high quality organic low sodium chicken broth and skipped out on the meat and tofu. I just wanted to enjoy the best part, the delicious broth! To make this soup vegan you could substitute vegetable broth for the chicken and add in tofu or skip it like I did. It won’t be exactly the same flavor profile of traditional Tom Kha Gai soup, but it will still be absolutely delicious.
I am so glad I made the time to make some Thai food at home and explore the Asian markets. Look for my Pad Thai recipe, very soon! I made that Saturday night and both hubby and I were so excited with how it came out that we didn’t take a minute to stop eating so I could take pictures. Mark has already asked me when I will be making it again, so I should have that recipe up soon! Also, if you enjoy Asian foods of any kind (Thai, Chinese, Vietnamese, Japanese, Indian, etc) and you know of an Asian market in your neighborhood, I highly recommend checking it out.
What is your favorite type of Asian food? Do you have a favorite dish? Have you tried making it at home?
[print_this]Tom Kha Gai (Thai Coconut Soup) Gluten-free + Dairy-free, w/Vegan options
serves 44 cups organic free-range low sodium chicken broth (or vegetable broth)
1 15-ounce can full-fat organic coconut milk
1 stalk lemongrass, cut into 1-inch pieces and pounded to really release the flavors
6 kaffir lime leaves
6 thin slices fresh galangal root (or ginger)
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1 small red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1/2 medium red onion, thinly sliced
3 tablespoons fish sauce (or soy sauce)
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1/4 teaspoon chili flakes
1 cup firm tofu, diced (optional, you could also add in chicken or shrimp, etc)
1 tomato, diced
1/4 cup thai basil, roughly chopped (optional)
1/4 cup cilantro, roughly choppedBring the chicken broth to a boil in a large saucepan over a medium-high heat, add in the coconut milk, lemongrass, kaffir lime limes, galangal, mushrooms, bell pepper, red onion, fish sauce, lime juice, chili flakes and optional tofu (or meat or shellfish). Simmer for 15 minutes. Add in the diced tomato and stir. Just before serving add in the thai basil and cilantro. Ladle into bowls and serve immediately, topped with additional chopped cilantro, thai basil and maybe some thinly sliced green onions.
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Butternut Squash and Roasted Red Pepper Soup (Vegan and Gluten-free)
I am super excited about how this soup turned out. This soup actually made me realize what a dork I am about good healthy food. It actually makes me stupid excited and I wanna dance around my kitchen! I love when you have an idea in your mind for a dish, you start experimenting, tasting and playing around and it just all falls perfectly into place. That happened with this soup. In fact, it actually came out better than I had imagined it would.
I topped this soup with a roasted red pepper puree that was inspired by a recipe I came across from Bon Appetit magazine in 2003 and I also drizzled some roasted butternut squash seed oil over top. I realize this oil is a very specialized product, and many of you may not have access to it, so you could certainly just use a good quality extra virgin olive oil, or just skip it altogether. The butternut squash seed oil that I have is from a company based in the Finger Lakes region of NY called Stony Brook Oils, I picked it up at Farmers and Artisans here in Buffalo. You can visit Stony Brook’s web site to get a listing of all of the stores you can buy their various squash seed oils at or you can even buy them online. Honestly, if you ever get a chance to try a pumpkin or a squash seed oil, do it. The flavors are incredible. It brings a unique nutty and roasted flavor to so many different dishes. I have never tasted anything like it.
I happened to be able to get my hands on some beautiful red bell peppers that I roasted on my stove top to use in this soup and for the puree on top. If the red peppers at your market aren’t looking so hot, just go with jarred roasted red peppers, they will work perfectly fine, too.
This naturally gluten-free and vegan soup is bursting with flavors and it is so beautiful and colorful. The roasted red peppers in the soup compliment the nutty flavor of the squash and the spicy, garlicky puree on top is a nice burst of bright flavor with a hint of spiciness. The puree was so delicious that I have been using it as a spread on sandwiches and on top of freshly steamed vegetables, etc. I feel like I always need to have a batch of this stuff on hand.
[print_this]Butternut Squash and Roasted Red Pepper Soup
serves 6-81 tablespoon olive oil
1 large butternut squash (about 2 to 2 1/2 lbs), peeled, seeded and cubed
1 large onion, diced
2 celery stalks, diced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
2 roasted red peppers, diced (here is a great page of different options on how you can roast your own red peppers at home, I roasted mine on my stove top)
1 tablespoon fresh thyme, roughly chopped
1/4 teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon kosher salt
7 cups low sodium vegetable brothbutternut squash seed oil (or olive oil) for drizzling
Heat oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add onions, celery and butternut squash and sauté until the onions and celery are tender, about 10 minutes. Add garlic and roasted red peppers; stir 1-2 minutes. Add thyme, red pepper flakes, salt and vegetable broth; bring to boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer until squash is soft, about 45 minutes.
Purée with an immersion blender or in batches using a regular blender or food processor*, until smooth. Return puree to pot. Thin soup with more broth if desired. Ladle soup into bowls. Top each bowl with 1 tablespoon of the roasted red pepper purée and a light drizzle of butternut squash seed oil. Sprinkle with a pinch of fresh thyme.
* When puréeing hot soup in a blender or food processor, do so in small batches, filling the blender pitcher only about halfway. Put the lid on, but remove that small cap in the lid (if you have it) and hold the lid down tight with a towel, otherwise the steam will cause the lid to explode off, spewing hot liquid everywhere. This has never happened to me, but it can, so be careful.
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[print_this]Roasted Red Pepper Puree
via Bon Appetit Magazine, November 20032 roasted red peppers (approximately 1 cup)
2-3 garlic cloves
1/2 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakesPuree all ingredients in processor until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.
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