Veggie Foodie

Ingredients:

• 1 ½ pounds kabocha squash or any other winter squash, peeled, seeded and cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 tbsp dry sherry
• 2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
• ½ cup pine nuts
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tsp agave nectar or maple syrup
• ½ tsp salt

Method:

1. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large pot
2. Sauté onions in the oil for 4-5 minutes
3. Add garlic, paprika and bay leaf and cook for 1 minute
4. Add sherry and cook for another minute
5. Add squash, vegetable broth and 1 cup water and cook the squash for about 20 minutes
6. Remove the pot from heat, remove the bay leaf and let it cool
7. Puree soup in food processor until smooth
8. In a small pan, heat 1 tbsp oil
9. Add pine nuts and salt and fry / roast the nuts till they are light brown in color
10. Add agave nectar or maple syrup and heat it on low heat for 5-7 minutes till the syrup gets thick in consistency, constantly stirring to make sure it doesn’t get burnt
11. Serve the soup hot in a bowl with a spool-full of pine nuts in sweet syrup

Serves: 6

Inspiration source:

Vegetarian Times, January 2009, page 44