Butternut Squash Soup with Mushroom Saute and Toasted Pepitas

Hey Babes,

Here's a classic fall soup brought to a whole other level with a saute of wild mushrooms and some toasted pepitas...mmmmmm...

Butternut Squash Soup with Mushroom Saute and Toasted Pepitas

Ingredients:

1 butternut squash, halved, seeds scooped out and baked cut-side down in a 375 degree oven until soft (about 30-40 min)

1 tbsp olive oil

1 large onion, diced

4-6 cloves garlic, chopped

4 cups water or veggie stock

1/8 tsp fresh ground nutmeg

1/2 tsp cinnamon

S&P

2 cups chopped mushrooms (your choice! use mixed wild mushrooms, shitake, portabello, crimini JUST NOT WHITE BUTTON MUSHROOMS, THEY ARE SO BORING, PEOPLE!)

1 tbsp vegan butter

2 tbsp shoyu

1/2 tsp dried thyme

1/2 cup toasted pepitas (pumpkin seeds)

Saute the onions and garlic in the olive oil in your favorite soup pot over medium heat until they are nice and translucent and soft.  Add the water or stock and flesh of the butternut squash (just scoop it from the skin).  Bring to a boil over medium high and then reduce heat to low, add nutmeg, cinnamon and season with S&P.  Leave the soup to simmer while you make the mushroom saute..

Heat the vegan butter in a skillet over medium high heat.  Add the mushrooms and saute until browned.  Add the shoyu and thyme and cook until liquid is absorbed. 

At this point, you are gonna wanna puree your soup with an immersion blender or a regular blender (in batches).  Then you can add shoyu (for more umami), non-dairy milk (for creaminess), crispy sage leaves (for herbiness), hot sauce (for HAWT) or just plain old S&P to your taste.  It's your soup, go crazy!

To serve, ladle the soup into soup bowls and then carefully float a couple tablespoons of the mushrooms in the middle.  Sprinkle over the toasted pepitas and maybe a couple drops of good olive oil.

YUM YUM KISSES,

V.V.