Bright & Beautiful Butternut Curry Soup

eeny, meeny, miny, moe

photo by Thea

2 medium butternut cut in half length wise

4 tablespoons peanut oil, or 2 Tbs. sesame oil & 2 Tbs. coconut oil

2 Tbsp. curry powder

2 Tbsp. minced fresh ginger

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp red pepper flakes

6 garlic cloves

2 quarts chicken broth

1 can unsweetened coconut milk

juice of 1 lime

sea salt

black pepper

½ cup chopped cilantro

Bake squash face down in baking dish for one hour at 400 degrees.  Let cool.

Meanwhile,  sauté curry powder, ginger, cumin and red pepper flakes until fragrant. Add garlic and sauté until it begins to color.  Remove from heat.

Scoop flesh from squash, discarding seeds, and put ½ in blender with ½ broth and ½ spices.  Process until smooth and transfer into soup pot. Repeat with remaining squash, broth and spices.

Add coconut milk, lime juice, salt and pepper to taste and heat through.  Add cilantro just before serving.

Jamaican Black Bean Soup

Jamaican Black Bean Soup

From Thea’s Kitchen

Adapted from Vegetarian Cooking for a Better World

2.5 cups dried black beans

1 quart veggie stock or water

2 bay leaves

2 tablespoons oil

2 celery stalks, chopped

1 potato, diced or grated

1 carrot, diced or grated

1 onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, pressed

1 inch piece of fresh ginger, grated

1 teaspoon oregano

1 teaspoon cumin

¼ teaspoon savory

¼ teaspoon fair trade cinnamon

dash allspice

¼ teaspoon fair trade black pepper

1 teaspoon Celtic sea salt

2 tablespoons tamari

1-2 limes

garnish: yogurt and chopped onion

Wash beans and soak overnight in water in a glass, clay or enamel pot. Transfer beans to covered saucepan (or leave in enamel) add bay leaves and cover with water by about 1 inch. Bring to a full, rapid boil and then simmer for 1 hour. Meanwhile, sauté the celery, potato, carrot, onion, garlic, and fresh grated ginger in oil until the onion is tender. Add along with remaining spices to the beans and continue simmering for another hour or until beans are done. Add salt when beans are tender. Remove bay leaves, puree ½ the soup and return to saucepan. Stir in lime juice and tamari just before serving and warm through. Serve with a dollop of yogurt and chopped onion.

Rancho Gordo is a great resource for learning more about cooking beans or for ordering the best in heirloom beans. Check out this video on how to cook beans: