Oh Rainy Days

VEGAN MOFO DAY 4!!!!

I have a love hate relationship with rain... if there's a thunderstorm or downpour I'm in love if there's the obnoxious ominous clouds and a puny little drizzle I'm not too happy. Today was one of those days... the days when it's pitch black when you wake up, your heat wasn't as toasty as you'd like and you just can't get out of bed. I would love to say I made the following concoction for lunch or an early dinner however I didn't get started making dinner til about 7:30ish and didn't eat til 10pm, which isn't great I know but hey I'm a college student. The point I'm attempting to make is that this soup should be your new go to soup... for on a gloomy day, when you're sick or just need a good pick me up, I swear to god that this is that good and super easy to make!!

While I'm posting this recipe... I am a firm believer in NOT sticking to recipes 100%! Use what you've got on hand, what you feel like or whatever. Also although I am a kale addict (no seriously I eat kale like it's candy or something) I'd never had it in a soup before today. If you've tried it and didn't like its texture, I'd strongly recommend trying it in a soup at some point. It brings out a brightness of flavor and literally melts in your mouth. Give it a shot!

Pick Me Up Soup!!!

1/2 acorn squash roughly chopped (or whatever you have on hand)

1 onion - diced (any size)

1/2 head garlic - minced

2 inch piece of ginger, grated

2 scallions - diced

1 can cannellini beans drained and rinsed

vegan veggie broth (preferably made either from scratch or Better than Bouillon Veggie Broth I swear it's the secret to amazing soups and risottos!)

dash each of cumin, paprika, cilantro, salt, pepper, lime juice

1/2 head of kale chopped into bite sized pieces

Add acorn squash, onion, garlic, and half of the ginger to a pot and saute until squash softens. Next add the veggie broth, scallions and seasonings to taste. After cooking for a bit add more ginger and the beans (I don't know if matters whether or not you wait to add the rest of the ginger but I did and it was delish!) Cook until the squash "becomes one with the broth" (ie when the broth gets super thick and the squash kind of disappears). Throw in kale and cook for about 5 minutes more.

EAT!!!

I also am procrastinating terribly over one of my labs so I helped a friend make mushroom broth! Having never made broth before it certainly was a learning experience. First - they take a LONG time to cook! We also got a late start but I am convinced that late night cooking with good friends is the cure to college stress... it's a theory that's yet to be corroborated but we'll see :-). Anyways here's a picture of the glorious broth soon to be morphed into something even more amazing!