Honeynut Squash Soup for Lazy People

Crazy times call for crazy simple

Work has been, wow, unusually hard lately. I’ve been used to heavy workload, but between a slim team (we’re recruiting), our fundraise, launching 2 new products in the next 3 weeks (!!), the general macroeconomic conditions, the chaos of the holiday season, and Dry January (more or less our Superbowl) things have been hectic to say the least. I have resigned myself to working and nothing else until I make it through, without feeling bad because I’m not being social or dating or surfing or cooking. But it’s been a few months of this and honestly, I’m feeling a little burnt. It takes a lot of computer hours to create the illusion of La Dolce Vita, and unfortunately I have not been able to cook much!

Nourishing a crowd has always been my love language - I’ve been working for weeks on my Christmas menu for my family this year. For the first 2 years of the business I used to cook lunch for the Ghia team. Dinner for 15 with a bunch of last minute +1s? Sign me up, I’ll happily make enough for everyone to go home with leftovers. But cooking for just me? No thank you. It is so highly inefficient and depressing, and in the best case scenario you end up with 5 days of leftovers, which I also don’t love.

My lazy soup - changes a little bit always depending on what’s in my fridge but is always a crowdpleaser.

Except for Soup. Soup has become my nutritious security blanket, when the rest of my life feels like all gas no breaks. It’s both healthy and hearty and tastes even better reheated than the day it was made. I like to make a big batch and freeze it, tucking the leftovers into my freezer filled with pretty ice cubes (thanks W&P for all the goodies), already shelled fresh beans from the farmers market, and knots of fresh tagliatelle. My freezer is a friendly reminder that I am who I am and I will throw a great dinner party ~ as soon as 50% of America drop their resolutions, circa Jan 10th!

I make this Honeynut Squash Soup often, because it is forgiving, delicious, dairy-free, purposely very healthy and takes no more than 15 minutes of active time. The honeynut can technically be devoured whole, and often comes with no seeds. I lay everything on a sheet tray and roast, then blend - et voila!  You can truly throw any vegetables from the back of your fridge into the mix and it will taste good. I took great comfort in the fact that my last batch from a few weeks ago was waiting for me at home earlier this week after a whirlwind, 36 hour trip to Minneapolis.

I call it soup for lazy people, but don’t take it personally!

Bon appétit!

Melanie

Utensils

A sheet tray
A good knife - I recently upgraded my very old knife block to this magnetized block and it’s been a game changer for my countertop. 
A blender (I have the magic all in one Thermomix, a very European indulgence, but any blender will do)
For storing: I like to use these chef things with kitchen tape and a marker to freeze things, though to store food in my fridge I'm a big fan of these with their push through lids.

Ingredients 

2 Honeynuts
1 Shallot
1 Onion
3 Carrots
3 Celery Sticks
A small head of Garlic
Herbs (I love thyme for this)
Olive oil
Salt + pepper 
Broth (water is fine)
A dash of curry powder or cumin
Fresh ginger (peeled)

Recipe

Lay all the vegetables on a sheet tray, roughly chopped if needed to fit. Cut the honeynut in half, (they don’t always have seeds, if they do scoop out before), face down. Sprinkle with olive oil, salt and pepper, and whatever herbs you have on hand. In the oven at 400 for an hour or until the honey nut is tender and the vegetables are blistered. Color = flavor!

You can technically blend and eat the skin of the squash though mine was a little rough so I chose to spend 15 seconds scooping the flesh out. Put all in the blender with a thumb sized cut of fresh ginger (peeled) and a tbsp of curry powder. Add broth or water. I feel strongly that every time a recipe calls for water, it’s a missed opportunity for flavor. I don’t even cook my pasta in plain water! I always prefer to throw some of my vegetable peels if it’s all I have, while I bring it to a boil, to give it depth. So here I used chicken broth from my magic freezer (or Aneto, high in sodium but high in Flavor) but the soup absolutely stands on its own with just water.

It will be lukewarm in the blender and ready to be stored away, but you can warm it up to enjoy immediately. Drizzle olive oil on top, add a sprinkle of maldon and fresh cracked pepper. My favorite finishing olive oils are Branche and Brightland (or the one my parents make in the South of France). I sprinkled a little dukkah a friend made - but any crunchies will do: savory granola, fried shallots, sage or even fresh herbs will make a nice garnish.