Happy 2013! It seems like 2012 went by so fast although personally, I would have wanted to hold on to it a bit much longer…just to sort of organize my mind and my surroundings before the new year came in full force. Can you relate? I didn’t really have a break during the holidays and it felt like a blur to me….did everything in a rush in between my regular work days. And I think in my mind I now deserve a mini- vacation or maybe keep warm in the comforts of my living room instead of bundling up to go to work on a snowy day. Anyway, after hanging out with good friends with their excitement and inspiration rubbing off on me, I eventually made the switch to the present and now I’m excited for 2013!
Snow…yes we’ve been getting a lot of snow in Toronto lately. And if you’re like me who works full time with long public transit commute, it’s still dark when you leave in the morning and even darker by the time you get home. There’s nothing like a nice soup to warm you up and get you comforted from the cold and the flurries… let the winter fly fast!
This is normally the time when most people start detoxing by juicing vegetables and eating more greens. I usually do that in the spring when the weather here gets warmer. My body feels more balanced if I eat seasonally based on my own observation and what my health practitioners tell me. We are all different. My husband is the opposite. He is regularly using our Nutribullet by blending his greens with some pears or apples.
This soup originally came about when I had some leftovers one day and I just sort of combined them all in the blender. It actually tasted good so I have decided to formally make it into a regular soup recipe for the family and also to share it with everyone.
Cauliflower and Roasted Squash Soup With Miso
Ingredients:
1/2 of Autumn cup squash, cut into cubes, about 3 1/2 cups (see notes)
1 small cauliflower, cut into florets, about 3 1/2 cups
1 stalk of celery, cut in cubes
1/2 of a yellow onion, cut into strips, about 1/4 cup
3 cloves garlic, lightly smashed
1 Tbsp. coconut oil
1/4 tsp. black pepper
4 Tbsp. non-GMO miso paste
5 cups of water (or more)
1/4 c. chopped coriander leaves for garnish (see notes)
Method:
1.Preheat the oven to 425F. Place the squash, garlic and onions in a roasting pan then coat them with the coconut oil and black pepper. Roast for 20-25 mins. in the middle rack of the oven.
2. While the squash is roasting, cut the cauliflower into florets and the celery into cubes. Put both vegetables in a steamer basket. Add the water to the pot and bring it to a boil. Insert the steamer basket. Steam the vegetables until soft but not mushy, about 5-8 minutes. Do not discard the hot water. If you have a smaller pot, you can also use half of the water and can add the rest later.
3. Dissolve the miso paste in the hot water.
4. When the squash is cooked, transfer it to the blender (including the onions and garlic) along with the cooked cauliflower and celery. Add the water/miso mixture. Process until smooth. You can do this in batches. Add more water if you want a thinner consistency.
5. Adjust the taste and warm the soup if necessary. Garnish with coriander and serve. Enjoy!
Notes:
1. You can also use kabocha or buttercup squash as they seem to have the same flavour. If both of these are not available then you can definitely use butternut squash although the flavour is slightly different.
2. If you do not have a steamer, you can boil the vegetables but make sure they do not over cook.
3. It’s also good to add half of the coriander leaves (and use the rest as garnish) while blending. It gives deeper flavour to the soup.
