Don’t you just love the cooler weather? Cool, crisp fall mornings are just so energizing – but cool evenings call for relaxing with comfort foods, like hearty soups and warm bread. The beautiful colors of traditionally fall vegetables make such pretty soups and stews.
This recipe caught my eye, because I love butternut squash soup, but usually the soup is pureed, and this one had chunks of butternut squash paired with cannellini beans.
Peel the squash with a sharp vegetable peeler until the squash is completely orange, with no white flesh remaining. Cut round end off the squash and cut in half lengthwise, scoop out seeds and cut each half into 4 wedges.
Bring squash wedges, broth, water, butter and soy sauce to boil, simmer until the squash is tender, then use a potato masher to mash the squash.
While the broth is cooking, cut the neck of the squash into bite-sized pieces. Half the white and light green parts of the leeks lengthwise, slice them thin and wash well.
Heat oil in pot, add leeks and tomato paste, cook about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook about 30 seconds. Add squash pieces, along with salt and pepper.
Cook about 5 minutes.
Add squash broth and bring to a simmer, cook for about 10 minutes. Add beans and their liquid and cook until the squash is tender, about 15-20 minutes. Stir in vinegar, salt and pepper.
Top with shredded Parmesan cheese and a bit of pesto, if you desire. Hearty and it smells so good! Wonderful chunks of squash and beans! YUM!
The link below, from Cook’s Illustrated, has the recipe and complete instructions:
Warm rolls are sooo good with fall soups and stews! Try this recipe:
Garlic Herb Parker House Rolls
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter
- 1 1/4 cups whole milk
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
- 4 -4 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 large egg
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh herbs, like rosemary and thyme
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- Flaky sea salt for sprinkling on rolls
Instructions
- In a small pan, melt 1/2 cup of the butter over medium heat. Add the milk and sugar and stir to combine. Using a thermometer, check the temperature of the butter and milk mixture; when it’s 105 degrees F, remove from the heat. Add the yeast and stir to dissolve. Let the yeast bloom for about 5 minutes, until the mixture is bubbly. If the mixture doesn’t bubble and smell “yeasty”, throw it out and start over.
- Pour the yeast mixture into the bowl of a standard mixer fitted with the dough hook. Add 4 cups of flour. Turn the mixer to low and knead until just combined, about 1 minute. Add the egg, 1 1/2 tablespoons of the chopped herbs, half of the garlic, and the kosher salt, and continue kneading on low speed until soft and smooth, tacky, but not sticky, adding the remaining 1/4 cup flour if the dough is too wet.
- On a lightly floured surface, shape the dough into a ball and place it in a large greased bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let the dough rise in a warm, draft-free area for about 1 1/2 hours, until doubled in size.
- Remove the plastic wrap and gently punch down the dough. Cut the dough into 4 equal pieces, then shape into small ball about 2 ounces each, for 18 dough balls in total.
- Butter a large cast-iron pan or baking dish and place the shaped dough into the dish. Let the dough rise for 30 minutes. While the dough is rising, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Bake the rolls 25-30 minutes, or until golden brown.
- In a small pan or in the microwave, melt the remaining 1/4 cup butter with the remaining garlic. Gently brush the dough with the melted garlic butter, top with remaining herbs, and sprinkle with flaky sea salt. Serve warm. Enjoy!
