Naptime. Its cold in the house like it always is, but not outside. Wes and Frito are asleep next to me as always, and I’m fighting to stay awake to take advantage of the time I have to be leisurely. I won’t make it long though. I always lay down and catch the last 10 minutes or so before the alarm. I’ve opened the windows by the bed, and the shockingly warm breeze for a January afternoon keeps floating in. These are the moments to appreciate. The ones you wish for all the time, but never notice when they arrive.
I should meditate. That’s supposed to be a part of this detox plan. I’m not good at it though. I can sit still, and I can focus on nothing, but I’m not good at focusing on the present. I’m still always waiting for the end. Can you meditate with your eyes open? Does it count if you notice the birds and the wind and the sweet sleepy sounds of your boys? If it did I’d probably do it more often. Maybe I’ll do that now anyway, as I wait for sleep to get me. Its got to at least be a step in the right direction. Its fun to be in health mode, because you don’t have to focus so much on what you need to improve. You can just focus on how satisfied you feel. This soup was the first satisfying thing I’ve eaten since I started this new get healthy thing.
Kabocha Squash Soup
Yield
4 servingsPrep Time / Cook Time
/Activity Guide
Car CampingIngredients
- 1 kabocha squash
- 1 14-ounce can white beans
- 8 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 1/2 small onions
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 3-4 cups water
- 3-4 teaspoons boullion
- 1 tablespoon harissa spice mix
- 8 ounces shitake mushrooms, sliced
- chile flakes, to taste
- salt and pepper, to taste
Tools
- Can opener
- Cutting board
- Foil
- Knife
- Ladle
- Large pot
- Long tongs
- Medium bowl
- Potato masher or immersion blender
Method
- Wrap your squash in foil, throw it in the fire (or your oven) and roast until tender, about 30 minutes to 1 hour. Remove from fire with tongs and set aside to cool.
- Slice one of the onions (save the extra half for the soup). In a stock pot, add 3 tablespoons of the oil the sliced onion. Fry until crispy. Remove from pot and set aside.
- Add 3 more tbsp oil and fry the mushrooms until browned. Remove from pot and set aside.
- Once the squash has cooled, unwrap the foil. Slice in half through the middle and scoop out the seeds. Discard or roast on their own for a delicious snack. Then scoop out the squash flesh and set aside.
- Finely chop the remaining onion. Add the rest of the oil to the stock pot, and saute the chopped onion and the garlic until translucent.
- Add the can of beans along with their juice, the squash flesh, water, boullion, and spices to the pot. Bring to a boil, and then turn to low and simmer for about 10 minutes, until everything has melded together a bit.
- Using a potato masher, mix up the soup to be a creamy mixture. Alternately, if you are making this at home and are looking for a really smooth texture, puree it with an immersion blender.
- Spoon soup into individual bowls, and top with a pile of mushrooms and fried onions in the center.
