maybe you know this about me,
you probably don’t,
but i like simple recipes
recipes that come together quickly
that uses up regular pantry items
random things that can be thrown in
haphazardly
and most likely not make much sense
except that they’re organic
about to die or rot
and were purchased on a whim
you may have also noticed that
i have the same general technique
when making a pot of soup
doing up a stir fry
it has a lot to do with time constraints
energy levels
and most importantly,
for me,
the routine of chopping/dicing/mashing/cooking
that allows me to either ignore things
or watch netflix on the ipad that
is perched on the precious counter space
it’s a wonder i haven’t chopped
a finger off
or burned the house down

this soup came together because
we had a butternut squash lounging
purchased some 2+ weeks prior
there were also those sad looking potatoes
that needed to be used up
and of course, the last few scraggly
carrots from the 5lb bag i like
to buy a few times a month
the weather is cool enough now that
soup is not a crazy option
i threw in miso for a nice umami kick
i did not add any salt
it all just ended up being perfectly
seasoned
plus, simplicity as its best

Autumn Harvest Soup

mirepoix:
1 onion, diced
3 carrots, peeled and diced
1 clove garlic, minced
2 TBL olive oil
1/4 cup honey
2 generous tsp miso

veggies:
2 medium sized potatoes, scrubbed and dice
half a good sized butternut squash, cubed

soup base:
2 homemade bouillon cubes
3 cups water
(alternatively, 3-4 cups of low-sodium stock, veggie or chicken)

in a pot, sweat the mirepoix veggies in olive oil, starting with the onions until translucent. add in the carrots and then the garlic. the timing is flexible, you can either go for a pale coloring or a deeper caramelized flavor, it’s to your preference, anywhere from 5-15 minutes. deglaze the pot with honey. i guessed on the amount, it’s basically how ever much came out of the bottle. you don’t want it sweet but you still do want some flavor. mix with veggies until shiny and coated, then add in the miso. again, this is based on taste preference. i used a mild flavored miso. miso can be salty so at your discretion season accordingly.

throw in the bouillon cubes and water (or stock). again, depending on how salty the stock or bouillon cubes are, adjust liquid and seasoning accordingly.

bring to a boil and then lower heat to simmer.

at this point, add in the potatoes and squash cubes. allow to simmer gently until all veggies are tender.

either using a handheld blender or vitamix, puree the soup to preferred consistency. i don’t like it too smooth, it comes out as baby food to me, so i leave in some chunks for texture. adjust season and add more liquid (water or stock) if you want a thinner soup.

garnish with roasted squash seeds for added crunch and texture.

serves four as a main, 6 as a side – calories: 142 | total fat: 7g | saturated fat: 1g | sodium: 113.4g | total carbs: 21g | dietary fiber: 0.7g | sugars: 18.8g | protein: 0.8g

other soups to enjoy:
angry asian creations – butternut squash braised in coconut milk
angry asian creations – curried lentil soup
angry asian creations – cambodian chicken & rice soup
my recipes – thai butternut soup
wandering chopsticks – canh tan o (vietnamese chrysanthemum greens soup)
olives for dinner – easy & fragrant coconut soup