Tag: butternut squash soup

Normally I post on Mondays, (MindFULL Mondays), but as we set the clocks back one hour, I had to find a way to make the dark, cold nights upon us, warmer. So this morning, as I woke up to the bright sun at 6:30am and thought about my day ahead and what to make for Sunday dinner (it’s in my DNA) Souper Sunday came to me.

With a strong need to warm my insides and out, I am planning to have a grand time finding one soup recipe to make every Sunday afternoon (that I can) and one quote to hold as my intention for the week.

To kick off this new Winter tradition, I have chosen my friend Jane’s recipe for Butternut Squash and Leek Soup. Easy to make and delicious!

Butternut Squash and Leek Soup

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 4 leeks with and tender green parts only, coarsely chopped
• 1 celery rib, chopped
• 1 garlic clove smashed
• 1 quart chicken stock
• 1 large butternut squash peeled and cut into 1Ž2 inch dice (3 cups)
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 large bay leaf
• Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1Ž4 cup flat leaf parsley leaves
• Cream or milk is optional  (almost never use)

1. Melt the butter in a large heavy saucepan. Add the leeks, celery and garlic and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally until softened.
2. Add the stock, squash, tomato paste an bay leaf. Season with salt and pepper and simmer over moderately low heat until all the vegetables are tender about 25 minutes. Discard bay lea. You can leave in or remove the parsley.
3. Puree the soup.  Taste for seasoning.

I am also starting with a quote my mom has on her kitchen counter:

“Ask: What is the most generous thing to do in this case?”

I love her. She is a wonderfully wise, loving and cool mom. The rooms in her beautiful home have quotes on post-it notes tacked to the fridge, walls and bookcases. I always leave her having learned something I am the better for knowing – and feeling warm, inside and out.

 How do you MindFULLY deal with the cold, dark afternoons of Winter?

Let us know!