Recipe: Butternut Squash & Romano Bean Soup

If you've been following my twitter, you may have noticed that I declared a temporary meat ban last week. While I haven't been 100% successful (from fistfuls of ham when M was making pea soup last week to dinner with the family this weekend to AYCE Thai lunch with Karl, Sherman, and Kim), the rewards have been generous. I *swear* I can see a change in my complexion, and I feel healthier. I'm also looking to get back into jogging (goal is a half marathon later this year, but please don't hold me to that).

Thankfully, I'd like to say that I truely enjoy my share of vegetables. I was probably one of the only ten year olds that counted broccoli and cauliflower amongst my favourite foods. Today they still are, along with a variety of squashes, beets, mushrooms, eggplant and kale. Here's a hearty but healthy butternut squash and romano bean soup that I whipped up last week to comfort against the cold weather. I pureed a portion of the soup after it was done to thicken it up. The bean and squash texturize the soup very well - you don't miss meat or cream here!

Ingredients
1/2 small onion, diced
1 rib celery, diced
1 small carrot, peeled and diced
~2 t vegetable oil
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 t ground cumin
3/4 t ground coriander
Salt & pepper to taste
1 butternut squash peeled and cut into 3/4" cubes
1 - 16 oz romano beans
Water to cover

Method
In a large saucepan, over medium to medium-low heat, saute the onion, celery, and carrot until the onion is translucent and fragrant (about eight minutes). Season with salt and pepper. Do not brown.

Add the garlic, cumin, coriander, and cook 1-2 minutes more. Add the squash; stir and cook 1-2 minutes more. Season again.

Add romano beans and add water to just cover vegetables. Simmer on medium low for 20-30 minutes, or until squash is tender. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.

Remove half (or more, your preference) of the soup into a blender or food processor. Pulse until texture is uniform. Return to pot and simmer on medium low until desired consistency is obtained.

I garnished my soup with a sprinkle of dukkah and some rice milk drizzled over top. With the sweetness of the squash and bean, and the savoury spices, I really enjoyed it. It was a *little* reminicent of the infamous squash at East is East, but in a good way. :) It made for a nice vegan / vegetarian lunch the next day too.

I haven't pinned it down to what exactly I'm trying to accomplish with the meat detox. If anything, just to be healthier and lessen the amount of antibiotics / drugs / crap in my body. So far, it hasn't been hard. But dining out is pretty tricky. Stay tuned for more.