Welcome to October, friends! I can’t believe how quickly the summer zipped by and we are heading straight into those cool fall temps, all the gorgeous fall colours and anything and everything pumpkin. I thought I’d share this recipe for butternut squash soup, a go-to of mine for a few years now. I feel like I’ve really perfected the flavour and the addition of crispy spicy chickpeas gives this blended soup a little crunch and a lot of personality!
I haven’t been on her much in the last week or so. On the 23rd, my husband and I flew our little cat, Witter to Moncton for radioiodine treatment for her hyperthyroidism. The poor girl had been suffering since May of this year and her little body had wasted away to a mere 4 pounds. Unfortunately, the travel was quite stressful for her, and despite making it to the clinic, receiving her injection and seemingly doing well, her little body couldn’t take any more and she passed away that night. My heart is broken. My house (and my heart, for that matter) feels so empty. She was my little buddy, my fur-companion and she was just the best. Everything reminds me of her and I catch myself coming home and expecting to see her waiting at the door. It took me a week or so but I’ve decided to take her things and a boat load of cat food to the SPCA with a cash donation in her name. Maybe one day I’ll feel ok enough to open our home to another little creature, but for now, I just wish I had my girl back. Here’s our little muffin in all her glory. I swear she posed for this photo. Me: ‘ Witter! Look off into the distance as the fall winds flow through your mane’. Witter: ‘Back off and let me live, Mother’. Me: *Snaps Pic*
Besides getting back to blogging, cooking and baking, I’ve got a ton fo work coming down the line with my business and am super jazzed to be moving along with it all. Small business start ups are hard work but I’m so excited for what’s to come! Work permits and timelines all get thrown out the window but it’ll all pay off in the end. It’s so exciting watching things take shape!
Ok, the recipe. My advice? Shop local. Get your veg from a local farmer’s market. Everything will taste amazing and your tastebuds (and community) will thank you for it. Save for the apples and veggie stock, everything in this soup is either locally produced or manufactured (even the spices!) right here in Newfoundland. I think that’s something we can all get behind. This recipe is vegan, gluten free, paleo and whole 30 (if you omit the chickpeas). The spicy chickpeas can be made ahead of time and are perfect on a salad too! If you have an air fryer, this is where this gadget shines because the result is crunchy perfection. WORTH IT.
Make sure you make this soup, curl up in a blanket by the fire and slurp up those cozy fall vibes.
HAPPY FALL, YA’LL
Sincerely,
Les xo
Ingredients:
for the soup
- 4 medium sized carrots
- 1 large sweet potato
- 1 large butternut squash
- 2 medium yellow onions
- 4 cloves of garlic
- 1.5 green apples
- 1 carton (about 1 litre) of veggie stock
- 3/4 cup full fat coconut milk
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 3/4 tsp cumin
- 2 tsp chili powder
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg
- salt and pepper to taste
- EVOO
for the Spicy Chickpeas
- 1 can drained and rinsed chickpeas
- 1 tbsp EVOO
- 1/2 tsp chili powder
- 1/4 tsp cayenne
- 1/4 tsp cumin
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/8 tsp fresh ground pepper
Method:
Preheat oven to 400 F. Peel and dice butternut squash and sweet potato into small cubes. Place in a bowl with 1 tsp cinnamon and 1/2 tsp cumin and salt and pepper to taste. Drizzle with EVOO and toss veggies until they coated. Place on a parchment lined cookie sheet. Then, on a second parchment lined cookie sheet, do the same with the apples (cored and quartered), chopped onion and carrot. Toss in 1 tsp of cinnamon and 1/4 tsp cumin and EVOO. Spread on second cookie sheet and add unpeeled garlic cloves. Roast in the oven for approximately 35-40 mins. In a dutch oven or a big pot, warm veggie stock on low with 1 1/2 tsp of chilli powder, 1/4 tsp nutmeg and add 3/4 can of coconut milk. Peel the garlic and, along with all of the roasted veg, add to the pot. Using an immersion blender (or a large blender blended in batches and transferred back to the pot) blend soup until smooth. If your soup is too thick, you can either add a little water or some veggie stock to thin it.
Drain and rinse a can of chickpeas. Place them in a single layer in the air fryer. Set temp to 390 F and fry for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, drizzle them chickpeas in EVOO and give them a shake to coat. Fry another 5 mins. While the chickpeas are air frying, add the spices in a small bowl and stir until well combined. Sprinkle the spices over the chickpeas and give them another shake to coat, roast another 5 mins and shake again. The chickpeas are ready when they are nice and crispy (20-25 mins). Don’t forget to give the basket a few shakes along the way to turn the chickpeas and get an even fry.
Top your soup with roasted pepitas or luscious tamari almonds, chickpeas, some fresh herbs and a generous drizzle of coconut milk. Fall vibes for days. Enjoy!
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