Minestrone Soup

Our church hosts a fellowship meal every Wednesday evening called "Fling." Last fall I learned that there was a committee that helped prepare these meals - a fact that should have been obvious but one I'd clearly missed. Seeing as I love all things cooking, I figured that this would be a great way to help contribute to my church community. This past Wednesday we deviated from our usual meal of fried chicken and all the fixin's and served Minestrone Soup in observation of Ash Wednesday. Because Audrey is still too young to face crowds in flu season, instead of preparing it at the church, I made this at home during two of Audrey's naps.

Parenthood is funny in that somehow you have both a lot of time on your hands and no time to do anything. This conundrum is because babies don't operate on schedules. Sometimes Audrey sleeps forty-five minutes; sometimes four hours. Sometimes she eats every hour and a half; other times she'll wait three. So you can see that planning anything becomes impossible. There are days when all I have time to do is feed her, change her, put her down for a nap, feed myself and pee before I do it all again! Other days I have a couple of hours to do things like chores (ugh), cook (yay), or go out to lunch with a friend (double yay).

There are many well-intentioned folks who think that parenthood means I can no longer do anything "normal" and many days that holds true (and on days like that, I am so very thankful to have that pot pie in the freezer or Chipotle delivered). But during those lovely periods where Audrey decides to nap for two - even three! - hours, it is a project like making a soup for church or preparing a Friday night meal for friends that keep me sane and help me keep my life in perspective. As Debbie, an associate pastor at Highland, so wisely understood, projects like this help me "remember that there's a bigger world outside; a world which someday my little one will know about."

Minestrone Soup
adapted from original recipe by Debbie Layman

Serves 8-10

In a large pot, heat:
1/4 cup olive oil

Add:
1/2 medium white onion, finely diced
4 large carrots, coarsely diced
2 stalks celery, coarsely diced
Saute for 10 minutes.

Add:
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 1/2 teaspoons dried basil
Let cook 1 minute, stirring constantly to prevent garlic from burning.

Add:
2 cups diced potatoes, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 15 ounce can skinless tomatoes, diced
1 15 ounce can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
8 cups vegetable stock
Let simmer 10 minutes.

Add:
2 cups fresh green beans, trimmed and cut into bite-sized pieces
Cook 5-7 minutes or until green beans and potatoes are tender.

Salt + pepper to taste

Serve with a nice loaf of crusty bread.

Eat up!

French Onion Soup

Before I went out on maternity leave, I tried to find and tuck away a stash of recipes that I would be easy to make while caring for an infant. This is the first one I've used and think it went pretty well. From start to finish, it takes about 3 1/2 hours to complete this recipe; however most of that time is for the onions to cook in the oven with no attention needed. The most time-consuming part is cutting up the onions (which I did with Audrey in the next room and the fan on the stove going full blast, as I was apprehensive about the onions bothering her eyes) and that could really be done the day before if necessary. We had this soup for dinner and put the rest in the freezer for another day. It was the perfect dinner for a gross, rainy night.

French Onion Soup
adapted from America's Test Kitchen

Serves 6.

Preheat oven 400º

To a large oven-safe pot, add:
9 medium yellow onions, peeled and thinly sliced from pole to pole
4 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon salt
Cover and place in preheated oven. Bake for 2 1/2 hours, stirring after 45 minutes and again after 90 minutes. Remove from oven and place on stove over medium-high heat.

Cook uncovered for ~15 minutes, stirring every so often, until moisture evaporates.

Add:
1/2 cup water
Cook for ~5 minutes, stirring until water evaporates.

Add:
1/2 cup water
Cook for ~5 minutes, stirring until water evaporates.

The onions will be dark brown at this point, which is why they will taste so good in your soup!

Add:
1/2 cup dry vermouth
Cook for ~ 5 minutes until most of the liquid has evaporated.

Add:
2 cups beef broth
4 cups chicken broth
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 bay leaf
Let simmer for 30 minutes to develop the flavors. Remove bay leaf prior to serving. Meanwhile, prepare toasted baguette slices.

Place on a lipped cookie sheet:
24 slices of french baguette

Drizzle liberally on both sides with extra virgin olive oil. Sprinkle with coarse salt, cracked black pepper, and dried thyme. Place in oven and bake for 10-12 minutes, flipping halfway through.

Remove from the oven. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese and cover each piece of bread with a slice of gruyere cheese*. Place back in oven and broil for 60-90 seconds or until cheese is bubbly.

*Gruyere is the traditional cheese used when making french onion soup; however, I must admit that I didn't have any so I used Muenster cheese instead and thought it was quite delicious!

Place four pieces of bread in each bowl of soup.

Eat up!

Shelley's Curried Carrot Soup

Shelley's Curried Carrot Soup
Shelley Sizemore

Serves 10 [as an appetizer]

In a large saucepan, heat:
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons unsalted butter

After oil is hot, add:
1 1/2 carrots, peeled and diced
1 medium onion, peeled and diced
Let cook for about 5 minutes.

Add:
4 cups chicken stock
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons curry powder
1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon coriander
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (more if you like the heat!)
Cook until carrots and onions are tender. Remove from heat.

Working in batches, puree in blender. Add up to 2 cups chicken broth until desired consistency is reached.

Garnish with goat cheese and crumbled bacon.

Eat up!

Croutons with a Kick

It isn't too often that I have a hankerin' for croutons. And when that craving hits, the processed, airy options from the box just don't satisfy me, so I almost always end up making the croutons myself. Last night I had just such a craving, and luckily, we actually had the right bread for the job (though it could have been a bit more stale).

Dinner last night consisted of butternut squash/red pepper soup, which I made with the butternut squash we'd gotten from our CSA. As the name suggests, the croutons packed quite the punch, which complimented this creamy soup beautifully.

I used sage for the croutons, but it can really be adapted for whatever spice works best with your main dish.

Croutons with a Kick
Kelley Gondring

Preheat oven 350º

In a small bowl or Pyrex measuring cup, combine:
1/4 cup olive oil
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon rubbed sage
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt

Cut into small cubes:
2 thick slices of crusty bread

Place bread in a small casserole dish. Pour the olive oil mixture evenly over the bread. Mix with a spatula so bread is evenly coated.

Bake 25-30 minutes, flipping halfway through. (If you like really crunchy croutons, bake an additional 5-15 minutes. I like my croutons crunchy on the outside but still a little chewy on the inside.)

Use on salads or in soups. Or eat by the handful...

Eat up!

Zucchini + Rosemary Soup

I didn't have super high hopes for this soup, but I decided to give it a try because I'm tired of eating zucchini sautéed, fried, and grilled. When I gave Jason a spoonful to try, he, too, was impressed by its palate-pleasing qualities. The potatoes help give this soup a nice consistency without overwhelming the zucchini, and the rosemary is the perfect spice for this soup.

In addition to using our remaining zucchini, I also used the garlic, potatoes, and onion from our CSA, as well as chicken stock from my freezer! I felt sorta like a kitchen souperstar (don't judge me).

Zucchini + Rosemary Soup
adapted from epicurious

In a large skillet, melt:
3 tablespoons butter

Add:
1 stalk celery, diced
1 large onion, diced
4 garlic cloves, diced
Let cook over medium heat for 5-7 minutes or until the onions are translucent.

Add:
3 medium zucchini, diced
Let cook over medium heat for 7-10 minutes or until the zucchini is tender.

Add:
1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
5 cups chicken stock
4 small yukon potatoes, diced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Cover an let simmer 15-20 minutes.

Working in batches, puree in blender.

Serve with homemade croutons. Garnish with fresh rosemary.

Eat up!

Mexican Chicken Lime Soup

Jason and I have been working really hard over the last few weeks to use our leftovers and the items in our freezer instead of making another trip to the grocery store. The leftover pasta sauce with spicy Italian sausage, and fettucini noodles were good, but this Mexican Chicken Lime Soup was fantastic! I felt quite proud of myself for spending no extra money and recreating a dish that I've only been able to find at the local Mexican restaurants. Feel free to make it exactly as is or to substitute your leftovers where appropriate!

Mexican Chicken Lime Soup
Kelley Gondring

In a medium pot, bring to a simmer:
5 cups chicken broth

In a small saucepan, add:
1/4 cup water
1 chicken breast, butterflied
2 chicken thighs*
*These are the cuts and the amount of chicken I had leftover in my freezer. Ideally, I'd use 2 chicken breasts.

Sprinkle chicken with:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
1/2 teaspoon basil
1/4 teaspoons parsley
1/4 teaspoon coriander
1/8 teaspoon oregano
Cover and cook over medium heat until no pink remains in the chicken. The water shouldn't evaporate because it's covered, but if it does add a little more water. Remove chicken and place on cutting board. Shred chicken.

Add to the saucepan:
1 teaspoon olive oil
1/2 large white onion, diced
6 cloves minced garlic
1 ripe tomato, diced
juice of 1/2 a lime
Sauté over medium-low heat for 10 minutes.

Add the shredded chicken, onion/tomato mixture, 1 1/2 cups cooked rice, and the juice of the other 1/2 of the lime to the chicken broth. Let simmer for thirty minutes.

Serve with cubes of ripe avocado, minced cilantro, and lime wedges.

Eat up!

Roasted Red Pepper Corn Chowder

Roasted Red Pepper Corn Chowder
adapted from Epicurious

In a large frying pan, fry:
4 slices thick cut bacon
Once bacon is nicely browned, remove and place on plate with paper towel. Once bacon is cool, crumble and set aside. Do not remove bacon grease from the skillet (unless it's excessive, then remove part of it).

Add to frying pan:
1 white onion, peeled and diced
2 large carrots, peeled and diced
1 celery rib, diced
1 roasted red bell pepper, peeled and diced
Cook on medium heat 8-10 minutes.

Add:
3 medium Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/4" cubes
4 cups chicken broth
3 fresh thyme sprigs
cooked corn kernels from 4 ears of corn
1 cup whole milk
1/2 cup heavy cream
pinch salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
Bring to a simmer and let cook 15-20 so that the potatoes are cooked through.

Add crumbled bacon. Garnish with fresh thyme flowers.

Eat up!

Chili Cook Off!

On Friday afternoon, I went to lunch at Mellow Mushroom with my friends, Traci and Kelly. We hit on all the typical topics -- our significant others, our jobs, and our friends. None of us expected to end up in Winston-Salem, and we've all pondered moving elsewhere. However with each passing week, it becomes more difficult for me to imagine packing my life into boxes and essentially starting over. I'm not saying I want to live here for the rest of my life, but the idea of doing so no longer terrifies me. My shift in attitude can certainly be attributed to many things, from finding an amazing yoga instructor to playing soccer in a adult league, all of which help me feel more connected and a part of my community. But having good friends locally was by far the biggest game changer. It took over a year before Jason and I found a solid group of friends with whom we could share our lives. Finding friends as adults is not easy -- there aren't new classes every semester providing built-in friendship-making opportunities. And I would feel a little weird walking over to our unknown neighbors with a soccer ball, asking if anyone wanted to come outside to play with me!

Kelly remarked that having friends changed her entire perception of Winston - she could walk into a weekend with no plans at all and go to sleep Sunday night wondering where her entire weekend had gone. This weekend was just another good example of this friendship phenomenon. Saturday night twelve of us took part in a Chili Cook Off, hosted at our lovely stone house. There were eight different chilies to sample, ranging from mild to spicy and including chicken, turkey, beef, and lamb. Brian's chili came in first place, and it was my personal favorite.

I hope to post links to all the recipes within the week!

Brian's Champion Chili
Turkey Chili w/Kidney + Navy Beans
Turkey Pumpkin Chili
An Indian Twist on Lamb Chili
Spicy Beef Chili

Turkey Chili w/Kidney + Navy Beans

Turkey Chili w/Kidney + Navy Beans

Kelley Gondring

In a large saucepan, heat:
2 tablespoons oil

Once oil is hot, add:
2 medium white onions, diced
1 green pepper, diced
2 jalapenos, diced (do not remove seeds)
Cook for on medium heat 10-15 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally.

Add:
1.3 pounds ground turkey
1 1/2 teaspoons oregano
1 1/2 teaspoons cumin
2 teaspoons salt
5 tablespoons chili powder
2 bay leaves
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
pinch of cloves
Break up the meat into small pieces using the back of a spoon or a potato masher. Cook until no pink remains.

Add:
2 28 ounce can diced tomatoes
1 8 ounce can tomato paste
1 15 ounce can kidney beans
1 15 ounce can navy beans
3 cups beef broth
1 12 ounce beer [substitute with gluten-free beer or chicken broth if necessary]
Stir together until combined. Let simmer uncovered for several hours on medium heat, stirring occasionally, until most of the liquid evaporates.

Serve with sour cream, cheddar cheese, and crushed saltines.

Turkey Pumpkin Chili

Turkey Pumpkin Chili

prepared by David Naff; adapted from Whole Foods Market

This chili recipe came in third place at our Chili Cook-Off!

In a large pot over medium-high heat, add:
2 tablespoons olive oil

Once oil is heated, add:
1 small yellow onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, cored, seeded, and chopped
2 jalapeños, seeded and diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
Saute about 5 minutes, stirring frequently, or until veggies are tender.

Add:
1 pound spicy turkey sausage
Break up sausage into bite size pieces and cook until browned.

Add:
1 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes
1 15 ounce can pumpkin purée
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup beer
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
black pepper to taste
1 15 ounce can kidney beans
Reduce heat to low and let simmer about 30 minutes.

Eat up!

Spicy Beef Chili

Spicy Beef Chili

prepared by Kelly Sampson; recipe from Dad Sampson

1 pound ground beef
1 medium onion
1 green bell pepper
2 15 ounce cans kidney beans
2 15 ounce cans Rotel
1 15 ounce can diced tomatoes
2 jars tomato sauce
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon cumin
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
garlic salt to taste

1. In a medium saucepan, brown the hamburger and jazz it up with a little garlic salt. Chop the meat up so that there aren't any large chunks. Dump in a crock pot.
2. Finely chop up an onion and a green pepper. Dump in the crock pot.
3. Drain a couple cans of kidney beans and toss them into the pot.
4. Add a couple cans of Rotel. We used "original."
5. Add a can of diced tomatoes. You can get the fancy ones with garlic or basil but it isn’t necessary.
6. Add a can of tomato sauce.
7. Add spices.

The Rotel and the ground red pepper give it the spiciness so adjust as you wish. If the chili is too thin, add a second can of tomato sauce. If it is too think, add a little wee bit of water.

If you don’t have a crock pot, cook it on the stove over low heat. Stir occasionally you can do it on the stove, but it is best to cook it a long while over low heat stirring occasionally.

Eat up!

An Indian Twist on Lamb Chili

Sometimes creativity works; sometimes it does not. I created this recipe because I wanted to see if I could create something palatable outside of the confines of most chili recipes...plus, I had black lentils still left over from making Dal Mahkani! Both Jason and I thought the flavors in this chili were good, though I didn't get the lentils cooked enough. I know that reviews from other diners were mixed, so if you choose to re-create this meal, do so knowing that the flavors are a cross between traditional Indian food and traditional chili.

An Indian Twist on Lamb Chili

Kelley Gondring

In a large saucepan, heat:
2 tablespoons oil

Once oil is hot, add:
2 medium white onions, diced
1 green pepper, diced
Cook for 10-15 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally.

Add:
1 pound ground lamb
5 teaspoons chili powder
2 teaspoons cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons oregano
1 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon coriander
1/2 teaspoon garam masala
1/4 teaspoon mango powder
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 bay leaves
Break up the meat into small pieces using the back of a spoon or a potato masher. Cook until no pink remains.

Add:
1 14 ounce can diced tomatoes
4 ounces tomato paste
1/3 cup kidney beans
2/3 cups black lentils
3 cups chicken broth
Stir together until combined. Let simmer uncovered for several hours on medium heat, stirring occasionally, until most of the liquid evaporates.

Just before serving, mix in:
1 tablespoon ghee

Serve with a dollop of yoghurt. Sprinkle with fresh diced cilantro.

Brian's Champion Chili

Perhaps the testament to this chili is that Brian pulled it out of his freezer on Saturday morning, let it thaw, and served it up Saturday night, earning himself the title of "Chili Champion." David remarked that the way you know a chili has won your vote is when you go back for seconds. Needless to say, I went back for seconds. Thirds will be dinner tonight!

Brian's Champion Chili

Brian Bethune

6 slices of thick cut bacon, chopped
1 pound ground turkey
1 pound turkey sausage
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 large yellow onion, chopped
1 large red pepper, chopped
1 large green pepper, chopped
1 large yellow pepper, chopped
3 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon Mexican chili powder
1 tablespoon ground cumin

2 teaspoons oregano
1 tablespoon paprika
40 ounces diced tomatoes
16 ounces tomato sauce
16 ounce black beans
16 ounce dark red Kidney beans
1 cup of beer [substitute gluten-free beer or chicken broth if necessary]
salt + pepper to taste

1. In a large pot, add bacon and garlic. Cook until bacon is crispy.
2. Add the onion, peppers, and spices. Cook until veggies are tender.
3. Add the ground turkey and turkey sausage. Cook until no pink remains.
4. Add tomatoes, beans, and beer.
5. Let cook for several hours on low-medium heat.

Eat up!

Beef + Mushroom Soup

I find cooking therapeutic. If I may borrow from Garson Kanin, "There are thousands of causes for stress, and one antidote to stress is self-expression. ... My thoughts get off my chest, down my sleeves, and into [my cooking]." The more stressful my day, the more complicated my meal is likely to be. Its not that this happens on purpose, but after years of cooking, I've come to realize that its not the solace of food I am seeking, but the process of its preparation.

Sometimes I decide what I am going to make while I am still in the car on the way home from work, while other times I have no idea and must first do a cursory inspection of available ingredients (nothing takes me out of the zone like a mandatory trip to the grocery store for one missing ingredient). It is totally normal for me to spend a solid five minutes walking between the fridge and the pantry, opening and closing drawers and cabinets, and shuffling through recipes, both online and on paper, before making a decision. Either way, even in this preliminary stage my psyche beings to let go of my stress, and I begin to process and work through all of life's frustrations.

The funny thing about stress is that I often don't realize how much of it I am carrying until its weight begins to lift, leading me to believe that stress-relieving activities should be embraced daily, even if only for thirty minutes. So whether you find relief from stress in cooking or writing, exercise or Sunday night football, I hope that your antidote of choice leaves you feeling refreshed, ready to embrace all of the experiences life has to offer.

Beef + Mushroom Soup

Kelley Gondring

In a large skillet, add:
2 tablespoons olive oil

Once oil is hot, add:
4 carrots, peeled and diced
2 onions, peeled and diced
Saute on medium heat for 10-15 minutes or until the veggies are tender. Remove veggies from skillet and place in a medium bowl. Set aside.

To the same skillet, add:
1 tablespoon olive oil

Once oil is hot, add:
1.25 pounds stew meat, trimmed and cut in bite sized pieces
Let all sides brown.

Reduce heat to medium and add:
3/4 cup of red wine
1 teaspoon of thyme
1 teaspoon basil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
Let simmer 5 minutes.

Add the cooked carrots and onion, plus:
4 cloves garlic, minced
Let simmer 10 minutes.

While the beef and veggies are simmering, in a large pot, bring to a boil:
6 cups beef broth

Add to the broth beef and veggies, plus:
2 1/2 cups potatoes or butternut squash, cubed [I used equal parts white potatoes, sweet potatoes, and butternut squash]

In the skillet, add:
1 tablespoon olive oil

Once oil is hot, add:
6 large cremini mushrooms, diced
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon thyme
Saute for 5 minutes.


Add:
3/4 cups red wine
Cover and let simmer for 5-7 minutes more. Remove from the heat, place in food processor, and puree. Add to the soup.

Let the soup for an hour so that the potatoes are fully cooked and the beef is tender.

Eat up!

Gumbo

I can't begin to count the number of times I've made this gumbo - sometimes just as it is written below and sometimes to fit the dietary restrictions of my friends and family. Because Jason is allergic to most seafood, my standard recipe doesn't include it at all; however, I have occasionally split gumbo into two separate pots and added shrimp to mine. In case you have dietary restrictions, here are some alterations that have worked in the past for me:

* Making this recipe gluten free is super easy because there is only one substitution: instead of using wheat flour use sorghum flour. (Also, make sure that your Andouille sausage is gluten-free. Whole Foods is a good option.)

* I recently made this for a friend who is breast-feeding, but because she isn't able to do spicy, I left out the cayenne pepper and substituted the Andouille sausage for Spinach-Feta sausage.

* For those of you who don't eat pork, there are great chicken sausage options that still have a kick.

* I also had success making this recipe meat-free when my best friend was eating vegetarian. Just leave out the meat and switch out the chicken broth for vegetable broth. Add a can of sweet yellow corn and 2 cups of diced cooked potatoes. You can also add more green pepper.

Gumbo

Kelley Gondring

Finely dice:
1 green bell pepper
2 small white onions
3 stalks celery
Place in medium bowl and set aside.

Coarsely chop:
1 green bell pepper
1 small white onion
3 stalks celery
15 pieces okra
Place in a separate bowl and set aside.

In a large pot, bring to a boil:
6 cups chicken stock

In a large saucepan, heat:
3/4 cup olive oil/vegetable oil
Once oil is hot, add 1/4 cup at a time:
3/4 cup flour

Whisk together to incorporate all the flour, being careful not to let flour burn (this is a called a roux). Immediately add half of the finely diced vegetables. Reduce the heat and let veggies cook for 5 minutes. Add second half and let cook 10-15 minutes or until veggies are tender.

Add:
2 whole bay leaves
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
1/2 teaspoon black better
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
3-4 cloves minced garlic
Cook 2 minutes more, stirring enough to prevent garlic from burning.

Turn off heat. One half cup at a time, add the roux to the boiling chicken broth, stirring so that there are no clumps. Reduce heat and let broth simmer so that the flavors continue to develop. Cover.

Place into a medium bowl:
1.5 pounds Andouille sausage, sliced into half moons

Trim and cut into bite-sized pieces:
1.5 pounds dark meat chicken
Place in small saucepan and cook until no pink remains. Drain and place in bowl with sausage.

Add the coarsely chopped veggies and a little olive oil to the large saucepan. Sauté on medium for 10-15 minutes or until tender. Remove from heat.

Add the sautéed veggies, cooked chicken, and sausage to the broth.

Serve over rice.

Eat up!

Roasted Butternut Squash & Red Pepper Soup

This is by far my favorite soup, and that's not just because it is the first soup that I can really put my name on! I developed it over time, taking pieces of several soup recipes and combining them to get this deliciousness (if I do say so myself...which I do)! As my uncle and I discussed over Christmas, it can be difficult to remember what you do when you create a recipe this way, since there is no real plan when you start cooking and there is no transcription of your creation while you're creating it. Nevertheless, after making it several times while being mindful that I wanted to write about it, I finally got it down on paper. Let me know what you think!

Roasted Butternut Squash and Red Bell Pepper Soup

Kelley Gondring

Preheat oven 400º, preferably using the "Roast" setting (if your oven doesn't have this setting, that's okay, it will just take your veggies a little longer to get tender).

Cut in half lengthwise:
1 Butternut Squash
Scrape out the seeds with a spoon. Cut into 6-8 large pieces and place flesh-side down in casserole dish. Fill dish with enough water so that one-third of the squash is submerged. Drizzle the outside skin of the squash with olive oil. Cook 50-60 minutes or until a fork goes smoothly through the skin.

Meanwhile wash and dry:
1 Red Bell Pepper
Drizzle skin of the red bell pepper with olive oil. Place in a separate dish and roast about 20 minutes. Don't be alarmed when the skin chars; you won't use it (ditto for the squash).

After removing the pepper from the oven, place in a bowl and cover it with plastic wrap; this will help the skin of the pepper pull away from the flesh. Let it sit for 5 minutes. Cut the pepper into sections, peel away the skin and remove the seeds. Place flesh back into the bowl.

Once the squash is cooked, remove from the casserole dish and place flesh-side up on plate/cutting board. Let it cool and then use a spoon to scrape the flesh from the skin. Place squash in a bowl with the roasted pepper.



After the squash and pepper are done roasting, combine in a large soup pot:
3-4 tablespoons olive oil
2 carrots, peeled and coarsely diced
1 medium yellow onion, peeled and coarsely diced
1/2 red bell pepper, deseeded and coarsely diced
Over medium heat, sauté chopped veggies about 15 minutes.





Once veggies are tender, add:
4 cloves minced garlic
Cook garlic for 1 minute stirring constantly, being careful not to let it burn.

Add:
6 cups chicken broth
1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper*
2 teaspoons sage
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
Bring broth to a boil. Add roasted veggies and let soup simmer 20-25 minutes.

*Remember, you can add but you can't take away!

Finally, working in batches, use a blender to puree soup until it has a smooth consistency.

Eat up!