Squash Miso Soup

I came across this combo (Squash and Miso) whilst perusing Sarah Britton's stunningly creative blog. I put it in the mental "to make later" folder and here I am!

But before the recipe, back to Sarah. Her website is one of my faves - it's full of creative and nourishing dishes and her food photography is top notch. She's seriously inspiring. If you don't follow My New Roots, then you should probably make an effort to check it out soon!

Sarah uses this broth for a ramen type dish, however, today I was craving a really simple soup. Sometimes less is more and when you're body is telling you that, then you should most certainly listen.

This soup is a little on the sweeter side, purely due to the squash. I used a Hubbard today and I actually do think it was the sweetest one I've ever had! I chose this squash for 2 reasons, 1. I had it in the pantry and 2. Sarah's recipe called for pumpkin and this is the closest thing to it (flavor wise). The sweetness and flavor will vary slightly depending on what kind of squash you use. Leave it to the Kitchn to have a perfect summary article on all you need to know about winter squash.

It's important to add the Miso at the end of the process to avoid boiling away all of it's good properties. If you have left overs, make sure to heat it gently as to not boil the miso.

INGREDIENTS:

1 tbs coconut oil or ghee

1 winter squash of choice, peeled if necessary and chopped

2 medium onions, chopped

4 cloves of garlic

4 cups of water

4 tbs light miso (dark is better for gravies and sauces)

good pinch of salt

1" knob of ginger, minced

optional: chili flakes, sesame seeds, cilantro, mushrooms, seaweed, ramen noodles

Heat the oil of ghee in a heavy bottom pot, add the onions and cook on medium for about 10 minutes until they start to caramelize. Add the minced garlic and allow to cook for a few minutes. Add the chopped squash and stir to combine. Add the water and salt and simmer for 15-20 minutes until the squash is quite tender. Blend the soup in batches until it's smooth and free from all lumps. Feel free to add a bit more water if it's too thick. On your last batch, add the ginger and miso and blend until combined. Add back into the pot, stir and adjust seasoning as necessary. Feel free to add any toppings you may desire (sesame seeds, green onions, mushrooms - or even soba noodles if you fancy - a la Britton!