It's been raining for days here in Southern California, which means two things:*
1. Soup; and
2. Wretched photos, thanks to zero light.
There's no end in sight to the rain, so before we wash away into the ocean I'll share my recipe for Easy White Bean, Swiss Chard and Butternut Squash Soup.
It's vegan. It's delicious. It's carnivorous-husband-approved.
If only it could make the rain stop.
White Bean, Swiss Chard and Butternut Squash Soup
Makes about 12 cups
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium white onion, finely chopped
3 stalks celery, finely chopped
3 medium carrots, peeled and finely chopped
Sea or kosher salt
4 cups vegetable stock
6 cups water
1 medium butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into 1/2 inch cubes (about 4 cups)
2 dried bay leaves
1 bunch Swiss chard, leaves only, loosely chopped (about 6 cups)
1 15-ounce can cooked white beans (such as Great Northern), drained and rinsed
Freshly cracked black pepper
1. In a large soup pot set over a medium flame, heat the olive oil. Add onions, celery and carrots and saute for about 5 minutes, until vegetables begin to release their juices. Sprinkle with about 1/2 teaspoon salt and saute for about 5 minutes more, until onions are transluscent.
2. Add the vegetable stock, water, butternut squash and bay leaves. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to simmer, and cook for about 10-15 minutes, until squash begins to soften. Add the Swiss chard and beans and simmer for about 5 minutes more. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve.
Stir crazy dogs;
A stir crazier puppy;
A puppy who dislikes pottying in the rain so much, she relieves herself on the door mat;
Frayed nerves on the part of The Headless Hound and us humans; and
A frantic, late-night plea to our dog trainer for help with puppy's incessant I'm-so-bored-I-could-bark-until-you-lose-your-hearing barking.
Please send help.
Your entire blog makes me drool. I need to start baking and cooking for Jake and I! It's so hard to cook for 1. I normally end up eating the staples, mostly pasta. But really, I cannot wait to have a grown up kitchen someday to cook like you do!
ReplyDeleteI am making this soup again tonight, it was so good the first time. I think i'm going to add some teeny-shaped pasta to it to help with carbo loading for my long run this weekend.
ReplyDeleteHope SA is treating you well.