More Squash Love

You might be saying, “Another squash recipe?” in an apathetic tone. I can’t apologize for my love of squash. They’re cheap, filling, a healthier option, and extremely versatile. What’s not to love? I did try to spice this one up to keep things interesting. Not literally though. For once I decided this soup didn’t need to be hot.

I made this soup while I was considering going gluten-free. I wanted noodle soup and was trying to think of what to use instead of regular pasta. Spaghetti squash was a pretty obvious choice. I’ve never seen spaghetti squash used in a soup before so I wanted to give it a shot. The rest of the ingredients happened to be what we had on hand. You can use fresh Brussels sprouts (which would be so much better) or frozen. I used frozen, but I did thaw them before hand because I thought that would be best. The black-eyed peas offer a variety in texture without an overwhelming taste.

I will be posting an extra recipe this week on Wednesday that might go great with this soup so please check back. It’s my first bread recipe that I’m really excited to share with you all! It’s not gluten-free though, that’s another post down the road.

Squash Soup with Black Eyed Peas

vegan, soy-free, nut-free, gluten-free

makes 6 servings

Ingredients:

• 1 small/medium spaghetti squash, halved lengthwise and seeded
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 large yellow onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
• 8 cups vegetable broth
• 1 cup dried black-eyed peas, rinsed
• 12 ounces Brussels sprouts (fresh OR frozen and thawed), halved or quartered
• 1 teaspoon thyme
• 1 teaspoon sage
• 1 teaspoon lemon peel
• 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 4 green onions, thinly sliced

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 415 degrees. Place squash halves open side down in a glass baking dish and fill with 1 inch of water.
2. Roast squash for 30 minutes. Pour out water, flip squash halves over, and let cool.

While squash is roasting:

1. Heat oil in a large soup pot. Saute onion for 5 minutes. Add garlic and ginger and saute for an additional minute.
2. Pour in broth, peas, Brussels sprouts (if using fresh), and seasonings.
3. Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce heat. Simmer for 30 minutes.
4. Using a fork loosen spaghetti squash and add to the soup along with Brussels sprouts (if using frozen). If soup is too thick because of the amount of spaghetti squash add more broth up to 2 cups.
5. Bring back to a boil and cook for another 10 to 15 minutes.
6. Serve sprinkled with green onion slices and enjoy!