Simple Squash Soup

What do I love more than a delicious fall meal?  A simple soup made from those delicious leftovers!  Even with a "broken" stomach, being in the kitchen still brings such pleasures, especially when I know the food is nourishing and good for me, body and soul.  However, there are always days when energy is low or the day is long, when a bowl of warm and comforting soup with minimal effort is calling.  We may eat mini meals but that doesn't mean we have to prepare them that way.  Rule of thumb in the GP kitchen: cook once, eat twice (or multiple times!).


Once the weather begins to cool, every week I enjoy making T a crock pot of beef stew, enough for today and tomorrow...and maybe even the next day too.  Last night he returned the favor by cooking me dinner.  In his previous years he worked as a talented chef, in fact, we met in a restaurant nearly 13 years ago.  I fell head over heals the moment I laid eyes on him in that kitchen and tasted his creamy tortellini.   From there, well that's a nice story, but lets stick to soup for now!

Last nights dinner...
He started by mixing a blend of warming spices - ginger, cinnamon, coriander, paprika and sea salt.  Using a cast iron skillet, he added a little bit of coconut oil and cooked some fresh shrimp I had picked up at the market.   In the freezer I always have a bag of chopped butternut squash, which T covered in the spices and simmered in the pan with a little water to steam until soft.  Heating up a little bit of congee (from the day prior), he topped it a small portion of the sweet spiced squash, a few shrimp and a bit of freshly grated sheep's parmesan reggiano.  

Soup tonight...
It's a rainy fall day and I've made the most out of it, using energy to work, get Luna exercise at the park and run errands.  I want tonight to be easy yet nourishing.  There is leftover shrimp, squash and some pumpkin from pumpkin pancakes earlier this week.  I also have homemade broth and coconut milk in the freezer.

The recipe: Take 1/4 cup cooked squash, 1/4 cup pumpkin, 1/2 cup broth, 1/8 cup coconut milk and about a teaspoon of the spice mix.  Blend all but coconut milk, heat and serve with drizzle of coconut milk and shrimp (can also be blended if needed).  For a vegetarian option, greek yogurt in place of shrimp and coconut milk is yummy.  Add sea salt if needed but other than that, keeping it simple!

What is your favorite fall simple soup?