This is one of those recipes that I constantly stumble across and have been dying to make for some time now, but never seem to get around to it. I have seen a variation of the recipe in
VegNews, the
VeganYumYum cookbook, and most recently in
Colleen Patrick-Goudreau's latest cookbook, The Vegan Table. So finally, I decided that I had to try this recipe!
Last night was the perfect night for soup (it was cold and rainy, but then again, we are in San Francisco) and I just so happened to have all the ingredients on hand. So, like I often do, I created my own variation of this soup, taking a few ideas from each recipe. Here is what worked for me:
Makes about 3-4 servings
3-4 tbsp. water (or 1 tbsp. olive oil if you choose)
1/2 brown onion (although, next time, I would only use 1/4), diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 carrot, diced
1/2 red bell pepper
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. curry powder
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
Salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup chunky peanut butter (thinned with some water)
1 cup butternut squash, cut in 1/2 inch chunks
1 small sweet potato, cut in 1/2 inch chunks
1 cup cooked garbanzo beans (I cook my own... and you should too - they taste so much better than canned)
2-3 cups veg broth (i used a boullion cube + water)
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
1-2 scallions, chopped
3-4 cups prepared whole wheat cous cous
1. Saute onions, garlic, carrot, and bell pepper until soft.
2. Add in spices and peanut butter. Let everything mix together for a few minutes.
3. Add in butter nut squash, sweet potato, garbanzos, and veg broth. Bring to a boil, then simmer for about 20 mins without lid (until squash and potato are cooked through and the broth has reduced a little bit).
4. To serve, scoop cous cous in the middle of bowl, add soup around the sides, and top with cilantro and scallions. Enjoy!
This soup was truly delicious. I will definitely be making it again very soon! Check out the picture below:
The main course was a joint effort. Taking a few tips from VeganYumYum, Stephen and I made some delicious gnocchi with lemon cream sauce and thyme vinagrette. I hardly ever follow a recipe exactly (except when baking, or course), and this was no exception. I didn't have any cashews on hand, so I made the cream sauce from a rue and added a little non-dairy milk, garlic, lemon zest and juice, salt and pepper - simple and delicious!
