Curried Acorn Squash Soup with Toasted Chickpeas

The best recipes are usually the most simple. You can take a little extra time making some special garnishes that will make a basic soup seem pretty fancy. This recipe has room for many optional embellishments. I think my favorite herb is cilantro and I find myself creating dishes around it just so that I have really good excuse to eat it. I know that it offends some people because of it's particular flavor, so feel free to substitute fresh parsley instead.

 However, the primary function of cilantro is to rid the body of heavy metals, which can be absorbed by consuming foods that are packaged in cans, from products we use and from the basic exposure to it. It mobilizes mercury from it's storage containers in the body, which is adipose or fat tissues. It can move it quickly from the brain and central nervous system. Combined with algae, which binds to the excreted toxin, this combination is extremely efficient at working together. Just some quick facts about this delectable herb and it's powers.

Now that we are heading toward warmer weather, I will be growing my own squashes and looking forward to mixing up my recipes with them. Try making this delicious soup - it's very easy and takes about an hour, start to finish. Most of that time is the slow cooking and doesn't require a lot of fuss.
This can easily be made vegan by omitting the yogurt drizzle on top, but it's totally worth it!

INGREDIENTS
1 large acorn squash, halved and seeded
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
3 stalks of celery, minced
4 cloves of garlic, minced
2 cups vegetable broth or chicken stock
1 cup coconut milk
1 tablespoon curry powder
olive oil
salt + pepper
cayenne

OPTIONAL GARNISHES
fresh chopped cilantro or parsley
1 cup of cooked chickpeas or toasted cashews
greek yogurt
sauteed mushrooms
green onions
smoked paprika

DIRECTIONS
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Take each half of squash and rub it down with a drizzle of olive oil and season with salt + pepper. Put them face down on a baking sheet and cook them for about 35 minutes or until the tip of a knife can pierce the outside easily. While the squash bake, start a saute in a medium to large sized soup pot. Warm about a tablespoon of olive oil and add the onion and the celery. Season with a pinch of salt + pepper. Let them go about 10 minutes until they begin to brown slightly. Add the garlic, curry powder and cayenne and cook just until it becomes fragrant. De-glaze your pot with your stock liquid by pouring in about a half cup at first, then add the rest. Add the coconut milk and adjust the salt. When the squash is done, remove it from the oven and let it cool about five minutes. Using a spoon, scrape each half down to the skin and add this to the soup. You can blend the soup right in the pot by removing it from the burner and using an immersion blender. This is a tool that is totally worth the investment. If you don't have one, you can use a blender but you will need to allow it to cool down a bit first.

In the meantime, you can toast your nuts or make crunchy, spiced chickpeas in the oven that's probably still warm. Bring it down to 375 degrees. Toss the chickpeas in a bowl with olive oil, salt + pepper and smoked paprika. Spread them out single layer on your same baking sheet and pop them in for about 20 minutes, giving them a shake halfway through. After they cool, they will be crunchy and crispy like nuts. So delicious.

If you have a squeeze bottle fitted with a small tip for dressings or sauces, use this to make your fancy zig zag. Fill it with a couple tablespoons of plain, greek yogurt and a splash of water. Shake it up and you've got a great little tool for finishing touches. Dress your bowl with sauteed mushrooms if you're using them, and top it with fresh herbs and nuts. Add your design last. You will love this versatile soup that can be made just as easily with a butternut squash or even sweet potato.

ENJOY!!

Butternut Bisque with Kale Cream, Pepitas + Smoky Mushrooms

This might be the most gorgeous soup I've ever made. The intense color - blocking turned out so good and only works this well when the consistency of the two layers are thick enough not to mix when you pour the cream on top just before serving. The addition of toasted pepitas, cremini mushrooms and smoked paprika put the entire thing over the top. This can be made vegan by using coconut milk instead of dairy milk. It is delicious both ways! The kale cream is also delicious over pasta, rice or quinoa with roasted butternut squash for a variation. I've also used it in lasagna, as a flatbread pizza sauce and as a creamy dressing on a winter salad. Experiment!

INGREDIENTS
For the soup:
1 butternut squash, peeled, de-seeded and cubed
1 cup coconut milk or vegetable stock
1|2 medium yellow onion, sliced
olive oil
sea salt + black pepper
nutritional yeast
pinch of cayenne
a little grated nutmeg
toasted pepitas are pumpkin seeds
sliced cremini mushrooms
1 clove of minced garlic

For the kale cream:
8 large leaves of kale, washed, deveined and chopped
1|4 shallot, diced
1|2 - 3|4 cup coconut milk
pinch of sea salt

DIRECTIONS
Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Toss the cubed squash and sliced onion in a bowl with a drizzle of olive oil, seasoned with salt + pepper. Roast on a sheet pan for about 30 minutes, shaking the pan half way through to ensure even cooking, until they are golden and fragrant. Remove the pan from the oven and scrape everything into a blender. Add the nutritional yeast, cayenne and the nutmeg. You could also add it directly to a soup pot with the coconut milk or stock and use an immersion blender. Blend until thick and creamy. Adjust the liquid so that it is not too thin or the cream will not sit on top and you'll get a murky blended effect instead. Return the soup to the pot.

Start making the kale cream by adding all of the ingredients to a second small pot and cook until just tender and the kale is bright green. If you overcook this step, the kale can become bitter. While this is cooking, gently saute the mushrooms and garlic, season with salt + pepper. Blend the kale cream in the blender (rinse it out first) or with the immersion blender. It should be thick as well. Build your bowl by ladling in the soup first. Gently and slowly pour or spoon some of the kale cream on top. Gently set the mushrooms in the middle and top with the pepitas  and smoked paprika. These layers should sit one right on top of the other for maximum wow factor and to get the color - blocked effect.

ENJOY!!

Smoky Chicken Tortilla Soup

When I eat at Mexican restaurants, this is always what I order. I love the smoky, tomato broth with tons of cilantro and jalapenos. The only thing mine was missing was some freshly sliced avocado. The store didn't have any ripe enough to eat immediately so I had to make do. However, I highly recommend adding it to yours. I had never made this soup myself and found a particular version that appealed to me using some re-hydrated guajillo chiles. They aren't hot at all but they give the broth a delicious depth that is certainly missing without them. I also made my own tortilla crisps and the recipe for those is also included. Splurge on an organic, free - range cut of chicken for this as it is the backbone of the soup. You'll be glad you did.

The deep, dark skin of these dried chiles is almost black. You can find them in any Mexican grocery store and I've also seen them in commercial stores too. A big bag is very cheap. Start soaking them while you get the rest of your ingredients ready. Save the liquid.

Add 1 pound of fresh, cored tomatoes to a large pot along with four cloves of garlic and the chiles. Pull the stems off and shake the seeds out first. Cover with filtered water and cook for about 15 minutes. The tomatoes will be soft and the skins will start to peel.

Add everything to a blender with your chopped onion and 1 cup of the simmer liquid. Let it cool slightly before blending into a smooth puree.

It's rich and silky and has a sheen to it. Don't over process this step or the tomato will become frothy. Add a couple tablespoons of olive oil to the bottom of your stock pot and pour the tomato base back in. Cook this down another 12 - 15 minutes. It will reduce and get darker as it thickens. Add the chicken broth and the shredded chicken. Season with salt + pepper.

While your base is reducing, cut about 10 corn tortillas into strips. Spread them out single layer on a sheet pan and brush them with olive oil and season with salt + smoked paprika or ancho powder. Bake for 10 or so minutes at 375. Give them a stir once and bake for another 5 minutes.

Allow them to cool while you work on the rest of the soup. If you start your chicken breasts in the oven ahead of time, they can rest while you prepare everything else as they are the last ingredient to go into the soup.

Prepare a plate of toppings to set your table with and everyone can dress their bowls however they like. I set out chopped cilantro, fresh jalapenos, mozzarella cheese and the tortilla crisps. Fresh lime, sliced avocado and either sour cream or greek yogurt are delicious with the spicy peppers.

This is pretty perfect for me. I have to admit, it's better than any of the versions I've tried in a restaurant and I've had a bunch! I really think it's worth it to take some extra time to make something simple yet elegant and share it with the people you love!

CHICKEN TORTILLA SOUP
3 organic, free - range chicken breasts
3 - 4 dried guajillo chiles, re-hydrated in warm water
1 pound of tomatoes
4 cloves of peeled garlic
1|2 cup yellow or white onion, chopped
4 cups low sodium, organic chicken broth
10 - 12 corn tortillas
olive oil
salt + pepper
smoked paprika or ancho powder
chopped cilantro
sliced jalapenos + avocadoes
shredded mozzarella or jack cheese
fresh Mexican crema, sour cream or greek yogurt
lime wedges

Follow the directions and steps above for assembling the soup. Start your chicken first by preheating your oven to 400. Season the breasts with olive oil and salt + pepper. Bake until they reach an internal temperature of 180. Using two forks, shred the breasts in the direction of the grain of the meat. They will be tender and come apart easily. Set this aside and add it to the soup last. When you make the tortilla crisps, reduce the heat to 375. Serve with raw garnishes and lay your crisps on the very top. All of the flavors will intensify as you eat. The cheese will melt and the strips start to soften and enrich the soup with tons of delicious flavors.

ENJOY!!