(I know. That's not a butternut squash up at the top of the post. But the cut up one is! Another great example of use-what-you've-got.)
I made a soup this weekend that I could eat every day. Warm and sweet and savory and nourishing through and through. Local butternut squash. Kale and sage from the garden. White beans. Homemade stock. Amazing goodness in every way. I love food like this.
Pete and I thought it was the best soup of the year. The kids were honestly so-so about it the first day, so on day two I added a few pieces of crispy bacon minced up and, well, there was none left for day three. Oh, my. (Mind you I haven't had bacon in most of a year since it is not GAPS legal -sugar in the curing process- so it was over the top for us all.) Hallelujah. With the added bacon it was elevated to the best soup ever.
Since I made this up as I went along and I never measure anything, there was no recipe. But I love you. So I did my best to make up a recipe so you can share in a bowl of my new favorite soup. You can't go wrong with this combination. And so while my quantities below are a bit sketchy, go with the flow. You'll find your own perfect combination.
Autumn Squash and White Bean Soup
1 medium-sized squash, cubed and roasted (I used a butternut but the red kabocha pictured at the top will be in the next batch later this week.)
1 qt of just under-cooked white beans. (Ideally you will first soak for 24 hours in water and 1 tb of whey from your yogurt; drain, rinse, and cook in bone broth for 20 - 40 minutes on low heat with 2 cloves of garlic.)
1 large bunch of kale, approximately 12 decent sized leaves, stemmed and chopped
1 small bunch of fresh sage or a big pinch of dry (if fresh use 8-10 leaves)
1 medium sweet onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
Butter, ghee, coconut oil, or bacon grease
6 slices of crispy bacon, chopped
Salt to taste
Bone broth (4 C or so) (Homemade. Please?)
In your favorite soup pot, saute onion in 2 Tb of fat until translucent. Add garlic and cook for another minute. Add cooked white beans, roasted squash, and enough bone broth to cover. Stir, salt, and bring to a simmer. Remove 1/4 of the soup and puree until smooth. Return to pot, add kale, and stir. Cover and simmer until kale is tender. Serve topped with crispy bacon (or not).
Eat, laugh, and then dance around your kitchen pondering where this lovely soup has been your whole life.
Love,
Rachel
P.S. Do take the time to make your own bone broth this season. All you need are the leftovers from any meat-eating you do (fish or beef bones, chicken carcass etc.). It might be the single most important thing you do for your and your children's health. I've always made my own stock but bone broth became vital when we noticed Lupine's early childhood tooth decay. We need what's in this magic potion! Every. Day. Okay - stepping down off my soap box. Or bone-broth-box, as it were.
