As a kid, I never ate squash. No pumpkin. No butternut. No acorn. Nada.
My mom never made it. Why would I? Eventually I'd say, 'Why wouldn't I?'
I think I was scared of the squash. There were actually several foods that freaked me out when I was younger. Pumpkins, cheese, cheesecake, ketchup, cool whip, corndogs, spam. Even white bread, rootbeer sodas, glazed doughnuts, glazed anything ...To this day, the only foods from this list that won my appreciation are ... Real foods... Pumpkins and cheese. As for the others, I'm proud of my youngster self at recognizing that these things were not quite "real foods". *I'll give ketchup a chance though. Okay. And cheesecake.
Over the years I'd expanded my taste bud circles and pushed my boundaries and tasted cheesecake and pumpkin pie (I'm on the fence about these two, but from time to time I accept cheese / cakes into my world and I do like other squashes). Butternut to be specific, has found its way to my heart and belly. It is one of my favorite soups to make.
Cooking with butternut squash has an expanding, food evolving, palate enhancing joy for me; simply because I never ate it as a child. It is fairly new to me.
Having had a hidden palate that so often only craved sugars and fried foods, I was missing out on so many real and vibrant tastes of this world.
In my mid twenties, I
began experimenting with ingredients and with cooking. I took
chances on herbs, spices and nuts (another food I was afraid of as a child). Intricate flavors began popping out, telling sweet and salty stories to my palate.
My palate was awakening!
Food. Ingredients. Cooking. Eating.
I awoke to a fine art of health and wellness. My life would never be the same.
My taste buds grew opinions.
Sharp and sensitive, sweet and savory, Snobby selective taste buds... except when I overindulged in sweets and fatty greasy treats. *Disclaimer (Of course, all cookies are at all times delectable and invited into the taste bud world.) Times like that, my taste buds would go under the radar and hibernate to the land of forgetfulness and fatigue.
Healthy soups, greens and fresh veggie juices would then be beckoned to rescue the little buds of true taste.
Ladies, Gentlemen and Taste buds true to their given intent... Taste. Experience... Flavor. True flavor. Subtle flavor. Sweet and savory secrets only raw and radiantly exposed buds may witness. Go on and invite your taste buds to the land of flavor appreciation! Have a snack, have a soup. Enhance your .... soup... I already said that. My favorite way to enjoy this soup or any soup is with my ultimate favorite snack enhancer... Fennel Bread Paratha Bread. It's a well spent afternoon in the kitchen and sure to be appreciated by those you feed.
Sweet Pot Squash Soup Recipe:
Here Goes... Aromatic Sweet Pot Squash Soup:
Preparation for Sweet Pot Squash Soup -- Cut butternut squash in half. Scoop out seeds and set them aside for cleaning and toasting.
- Coat insides of squash with coconut oil and place down on baking sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for 1 hour. Peel skins to dispose.
- Bake sweet potato same amount of time and temp as squash.
- Cover and set aside for soup.
- Dice 1/2 sweet onion
- dice 1/2 small to medium size green cabbage.
- 3 tablespoons of coconut oil
- add onions
- add cabbage
- grate 1 teaspoon of fresh ginger root
- grate 1 teaspoon of fresh tumeric root
- 1 teaspoon of curry powder
- 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon of garam masala
- 1/4 teaspoon of cayenne
- 1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon of salt
- 1/4 teaspoon of pepper
- Add Sweet Potato and Squash
- Add 1/2 carton or one and a half cups of vegetable broth
- Add 1/2 cup of milk or milk substitute like coconut milk.
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