Description
This plant-based, gluten-free creamy soup stars the stunning winter squash called red kuri, paired with vibrant ginger, garlic, turmeric, and mushrooms and garnished with pomegranate arils and walnuts.
Ingredients
Red Kuri Squash:
- 1 small red kuri squash (about 1 ½ pounds; yields about 2 cups cooked, soft squash)
- 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
- Salt and black pepper (as desired, optional)
- Water
Soup:
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 shallot, diced (or ¼ red onion, diced)
- 1 stalk celery, diced
- 1 cup diced mushrooms
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2-inch piece fresh ginger, grated
- 1-inch piece fresh turmeric, grated (or substitute 1 teaspoon ground turmeric)
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 cup vegetable broth
- ½ cup plant-based milk, plain, unsweetened
Garnish:
- ¼ cup pomegranate arils
- ¼ cup chopped walnuts
- Drizzle extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 F.
- Split squash in half and scoop out seeds with a spoon. Slice each half into smaller pieces (about 4 per each half).
- Place squash, peel facing down and flesh facing up, in a baking dish with a ½-inch of water on the bottom; drizzle with 1 teaspoon olive oil and season with salt and black pepper (as desired, optional). Roast on top rack of oven for about 25 minutes, until tender when pierced with a fork. Remove and cool slightly.
- While squash is roasting, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a heavy pot. Sauté shallots, celery, mushrooms, garlic, ginger, and turmeric for 4 minutes. Add black pepper and vegetable broth and simmer for 8 minutes.
- When squash is tender, spoon out flesh in chunks and place in the pot with soup mixture.
- Stir plant-based milk into pot with soup mixture, and heat an additional 3-4 minutes, until mixture is heated through and bubbling.
- Remove from heat and transfer to a large blender (do not overfill blender to avoid spilling), processing until smooth and creamy (about 3-4 minutes).
- Serve in 4 individual soup bowls (about 1 cup per serving).
- Garnish with pomegranate arils, chopped hazelnuts, and a drizzle of olive oil.
- Makes 4 servings
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 27 minutes
- Category: Soup
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 125
- Sugar: 4 g
- Sodium: 258 mg
- Fat: 6 g
- Saturated Fat: 1 g
- Carbohydrates: 18 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 3 g