Butternut Miso Coconut Soup, Gluten Free Focaccia & Hummus

by Anouk Booneman

And just like that Fall is back. I love that season in upstate New York but it’s bittersweet.  Leaves are dropping and so are the temperatures. We have the last tomatoes, bell peppers and eggplants. We can still make pesto, but kale has definitely made an appearance and so have the winter squashes. 

While still a bit early for my taste, I made a favorite soup this weekend. The recipe is from the blog Food 52 and it’a a butternut squash, miso, coconut soup. It’s part of my winter soup rotation and can be made with any winter squash. I purchase my miso through the South River Miso Company. (It is a family owned, artisan miso company located in Massachusetts. Their products are excellent and can be purchased online or at Whole Foods. Miso is a fantastic product. A delicious high protein seasoning, it has been used for years in Japan, where it is even consumed for breakfast. South River Miso has a lot of soy free miso products for those who do not tolerate soy well.)

This weekend I also made a Gluten free focaccia with a recently discovered gluten free blend. Caputo’s Gluten Free Blend (I found it at Fred the Butcher but have also purchased it from Amazon) is a great product. This flour really makes a delicious focaccia with a soft interior and a very nice crust. I topped it with hummus and alfalfa. I included Joanne’s Chang hummus recipe. It’s bright and lemony. My favorite tahini to use in my hummus is from the brand Soom. I think it’s a great product. Delicious and very easy to use. No need to stir forever because the seeds and oil have separated. I purchase this brand from Amazon as well. 

Happy eating and I am wishing you a great transition into fall and winter. Stay warm and healthy.

Anouk

Butternut squash, miso soup (Food 52)

Ingredients

  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 4 1/2 cups water
  • 4 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon white shiro miso (use a lighter miso here)
  • 1 large yellow onion, diced
  • 1 (1-inch) knob of ginger, peeled and grated
  • 2 1/2 teaspoons cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or slightly more to taste
  • 1 (3-pound) butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
  • 1/2 cup full-fat coconut milk
  • 1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste

Directions

  • First, make your miso stock. Put 4 cups of water into a saucepan and heat to a simmer. Whisk the remaining 1/2 cup of water together with the miso, and pour that into the saucepan. Bring to a simmer, but don't let it boil.
  • Pour a few tablespoons of olive oil into the bottom of a large, heavy pot. When it's hot, add the onion and sweat it until it's translucent. Stir in the ginger, cumin, and cayenne, and toast spices for 30 seconds to 1 minute. Deglaze with a ladle-full of your miso stock.
  • Add the cubed butternut squash and the salt, mixing everything to combine, and then pour in the rest of the miso stock. Simmer until the squash is completely tender, about 20 minutes.
  • Turn off the heat, and purée the soup in a food processor or with a hand blender, being careful of the hot liquid. At this point you can strain for a super-smooth soup, or you can leave it how it is—up to you!
  • Return the puréed soup back to the pot, and stir in the coconut milk. Taste, adjust for seasoning and spice.
  • Serve warm, with bread on the side.
  • Instead of cubing my squash, I halve it and roast it in a 450 degrees oven until soft. I add it to the onion mix and miso stock and blend it immediately without simmering. I sometimes even leave the skin on. My blender takes care of the skin. 
  • Always get full fat coconut milk. If you want to reduce the calories just add your own water. it’s a lot cheaper than buying the coconut lite.

Caputo’s Gluten Free Focaccia Bread 

The recipe for the focaccia is on the back of the packaging. there is also a you tube video. Check out:

How to make gluten free focaccia with Caputo Gluten free flour


Joanne Chang’s hummus recipe (from her book Flour too)

For the hummus

  • 6 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 2 Tbs. tahini paste
  • 2 medium garlic cloves, smashed
  • 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
  • 3/4 tsp. kosher salt
  • 1-1⁄3 cups dried chickpeas, or two 15-oz. cans chickpeas
  • 1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

Preparation

  • If using dried chickpeas, place them in a bowl or other container, add 6 to 8 cups water, cover, and refrigerate overnight. The next day, drain and rinse the chickpeas. In a medium saucepan, bring the chickpeas and about 2 quarts water to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 1 to 1-1⁄2 hours, or until the chickpeas are tender. Remove from the heat and drain the chickpeas. If using canned chickpeas, drain and rinse under cold running water.
  • Set aside about 3⁄4 cup of the chickpeas. In the food processor or blender, combine the remaining chickpeas with the olive oil, lemon juice, tahini paste, garlic, cumin, salt, and pepper and puree until smooth, stopping and scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed to make sure the hummus is well blended and smooth. Transfer the hummus to a bowl and fold in the reserved chickpeas.

Anouk Booneman is a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America and was a baker at the Omega Institute for Holistic Studies.  She is also the co-founder of Spring into Health with Anouk and Danielle.  They offer workshops on how to cook and eat healthy.  Watch their site for their events!


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