November 9, 2016

Tuscan White Bean and Butternut Squash Soup

Name: Tuscan White Bean and Butternut Squash Soup
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 45 min
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 Tbsp olive oil; 1 small butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and large-diced; 1 large yellow or sweet onion, minced; 1/2 Tbsp fresh garlic, crushed; 1 Tbsp unsalted butter¹; 1/4 tsp dried thyme; 1/4 tsp dried rosemary; 1/8 tsp dried oregano; 1 small lemon, juiced²; 4 cups (32 oz) rich chicken or vegetable stock; kosher salt and freshly-ground black pepper, to taste; 1 (15 oz) can cooked cannelini beans, drained (not rinsed); 1-1/2 cups (loosely-packed) kale³, rough stems removed and torn into small pieces

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This cozy white bean and butternut squash soup is full of garlic, herbs, flavorful stock, and good-for-you Fall veggies. Gluten free and vegan-friendly.

white bean soup with butternut squash and kale

… because we could all use a little comfort food today.

This cozy white bean and butternut squash soup is ultimate, soul-warming, nourishing goodness. The pot is full of garlic and herbs and Fall veggies and good stock, and it’s no wonder I keep going back to variations of this recipe, over and over again.

It’s the sort of cozy, cold-weather soup that I crave all season long, but especially need right now. And I’m guessing many of you do too.

This is not ordinarily a political space. To the contrary, it’s a place to ramble about my love of berries, and chocolate, and comforting fall soups. It’s generally frivolous, a space where we can bond over recipes, and ingredients, and sharing a meal. But I’m making an exception today, because this election has affected me and my family, and those I love, on a deeply personal level, and I can’t not say something.

I was so hopeful yesterday, and while I expected this bitter race would end in a close finish, seeing my friends take their young daughters along with them to the polls throughout the day, hearing stories of women in their nineties, born before women even had the right to vote, casting their ballot for the first female president, was inspiring and emotional, and important.

I didn’t vote for Hillary simply because she’s a woman, but I don’t think I realized just how meaningful it was to me, or how deeply gutted I would feel by her loss, until the results rolled in late last night.

To see demagoguery, and vitriol, and misogyny champion over progressive ideals – and basic respect for human rights – is profoundly disheartening. I’m sad and ashamed. Not just as a woman, or a democrat, but as an American, and human being.

Because I’m at a loss as to what else to do right now – and this still doesn’t seem real – I’m channeling my heartbreak into cooking. I find so much peace and joy in the kitchen, and good, homemade cooking is one of the best ways I know how to show love.

I have to believe that love and respect and kindness will triumph in the years to come. That as a deeply-divided nation we can move forward with peace, and healing, and come together again. That we will do better, and work harder, for the next generation.

what you’ll love about this white bean and butternut squash soup

This bean and butternut soup begins in a predictable – and lovely – way: with good stuff like sautéed onion, fresh garlic, and aromatic herbs.

First, I quickly caramelize the butternut squash in a bit of olive oil, adding flavor and texture, before the veggies simmer away in the garlicky, herby, lemony soup base. Using a rich chicken or vegetable stock is most important, as a bulk of the flavor comes from long-simmering broth, either store-bought or homemade (my preference).

Also added to the mix – fresh lemon juice, baby kale leaves, and white beans (I’m a fan of cannelini or navy beans), which work so well in soups like this. And in less than an hour, the result is a healthy and hearty, wonderfully flavorful soup to cozy up with on a chilly day.