The weather is chilly up North. So throw on some cozy socks and bundle up by the fireplace with this wholesome, earthy soup. With a kick of cayenne, it is guaranteed to warm your soul!
Completely made from scratch, this recipe includes how to make a Jain vegetable broth that can be used as a base in any soup recipe or vegetarian gravy.
Jain Vegetable Broth:
5 cups cold water fennel greens and stems 1 zucchini 1 cup chopped opo/calabash squash hand full of green beans 3 red Swiss chard (leaves and stems) 2 stems celery 1 Bay leaf 6 whole black peppercorns salt to taste 2 tablespoons olive oil Fresh Italian parsley
Place 5 cups cold water, olive oil, fennel, celery, zucchini, Swiss Chard, green beans, and opo in a large pot. Bring to boil. Once boiling, add in bay leaf, peppercorns, salt, and parsley. Let boil for another 5-10 minutes. Reduce heat to a simmer, and cover the pot. Let the broth simmer for 45-60 minutes. The longer you let it simmer, the stronger the broth flavor. Also, for a more aromatic flavor, roast and sweat the celery and fennel prior to adding them to the broth. Strain the broth, but don’t toss the veggies yet!
Roasted Acorn Squash Zucchini Soup
serves 2-4
3-4 Cups Jain Vegetable Broth 2 organic acorn squash Cooked zucchini, green beans & opo squash 1 tsp cayenne pepper (+/- vary for spice) 1 tsp salt 1-2 tsp italian seasoning A few twists of ground black pepper 2 tbsp heavy whipping cream
Slice each acorn squash in two, remove seeds, and spritz with olive oil. Puncture skin and place on a baking sheet. Roast skin side down at 400 degrees for 15 minutes, then flip over for 15-20 more minutes. While the squash are roasting, this is a good time to start cooking the broth. Remove from oven and scoop out the squash.
Toss the squash into a strong blender (I use VitaMix). Add 3-4 cups of Jain vegetable broth (depending on the consistency of soup you prefer), cooked zucchini, green beans, opo squash from the broth mixture, cayenne pepper, salt, italian seasoning, ground black pepper, and heavy whipping cream into the blender. Blend on high until smooth. The VitaMix is great because it automatically heats the soup. Otherwise, you might place the completed soup back on the stove or microwave to heat it. Drizzle with cream and serve hot! For a vegan version, simply skip the heavy whipping cream, or use a soy cream.
Pinki's Palate 
