My Blog

Tag: winter

  • Vegan Butternut Squash Soup

    Winters = Soup. Enough said. Well, let’s just say one more thing – this is quite possibly the easiest bowl of thick, velvety, soul-warming bowl of flavorful soup to prepare in less than 30 minutes.

    Prep time5-10 minutes
    Cook time20 minutes
    Serves2-3

    Ingredients

    Vegetables

    • Butternut Squash – 1 medium sized, diced
    • Onions – 1 large, chopped

    Spices and Herbs

    • Garlic – 1 tbsp, crushed
    • Red Chilli Powder – 1-2 tsps
    • Roasted Cumin Powder – 2 tsps
    • Cinnamon Powder – 1 tsp
    • Salt – As per taste

    Oils

    • Cooking Oil – 2 tbsps

    Liquids

    • Coconut Milk – 1/2 cup
    • Vegetable Broth – 1 cup

    Nuts and Seeds

    • Slivered Almonds – A handful for garnish

    Ingredient notes

    • Frozen diced Butternut Squash can also be used
    • Substitute Red Chilli Powder with Paprika for a less intense spice
    • Any other plant based milk can also be used such as almond, oats or soy
    • Roasted Pumpkin Seeds can also be used for a garnish

    Method

    1. In a large pot, add oil and let it heat up
    2. To the hot oil, add the crushed garlic. Once it is nice and brown, add the chopped onions and saute until the onions are translucent
    3. Add the diced butternut squash and cook for 2-3 minutes
    4. Add all the spices and mix well for 1-2 minutes
    5. Add the liquids, mix well and simmer the mixture on medium heat for 8-10 minutes
    6. At this point, use an immersion blender to blend the mixture in the same pot. Alternatively, allow the mixture to cool down and transfer to a blender (The alternate step will add 10-15 minutes extra minutes to the total preparation)
    7. Simmer the blended soup for an additional 3-5 minutes. During this time, adjust the spices and consistency as desired
    8. Transfer to a soup bowl. Garnish with roasted cumin powder and slivered almonds and enjoy immediately

    You can also follow me on Instagram to be up-to-date with what is cooking my kitchen. If you like this recipe, do rate it and share your comments below. Don’t forget to post your version on Instagram using #foodformyloveblog.

  • Roasted Butternut Squash Salad

    I think I have mentioned this before, but I am salad junkie. Spring, summer or winter, I will eat salads all year around. And if that salad has one of my favorite vegetables, the salad is taken to the next level.

    Butternut Squash is a popular winter squash and it makes for a great vegetable for a warm winter salad. Roasting the butternut squash gives it such as beautiful caramelized flavor, and when the squash is marinated with garlic, salt pepper and red chilli flakes, the flavors amalgamate to perfection. This salad has an extra special zing with a homemade orange-ginger dressing.

    Salads are much more fun to eat when they have a variety of colors and textures, after all, we eat with all our senses. So think of not just the vegetable, but the greens, a crunchy element, a variety of colors etc. With all of those elements, this warm salad is sure to please you. Even for a non-salad lover (i.e. my husband) is sure to enjoy this beautiful salad (which he did 🙂 ).

    Prep time20 minutes
    Cook time30 minutes
    Serves2-3

    Ingredients

    Vegetables

    • Butternut Squash – 1 medium, peeled and cubed
    • Baby Arugula – 3 cups

    Fruits

    • Pomegranate Seeds – 1/2 cup
    • Orange – 1 medium (juiced to 1/2 cup)

    Nuts & Seeds

    • Roasted Pumpkin Seeds – 1/4 cup

    Spices & Herbs

    • Ginger – 1 tbsp, crushed
    • Salt – As per taste
    • Pepper – 1/2 tbsp
    • Red Chilli Flakes – 1 tbsp
    • Garlic – 1 tbsp, crushed

    Oils

    • Olive Oil – 2 tbsp

    Ingredient notes

    • Arugula adds a peppery zing to the salad, but feel free to choose any other green leafy vegetable of your choice

    Method

    1. Preheat oven to 400F (Approx. 200C) and line a baking tray with aluminium foil or parchment paper
    2. Place the cubed butternut squash on the tray. Drizzle olive oil. Add salt, pepper, crushed garlic and red chilli flakes. Mix well
    3. After the oven is ready to go, place the tray in the oven and roast the butternut squash for 25-30 minutes
    4. To prepare the dressing, in a mason jar, add olive oil orange juice, crushed ginger, salt and pepper. Close the lid of the jar and mix well until the dressing comes together
    5. Once the butternut squash has roasted, take it out of the oven and add to a mixing bowl
    6. To the same bowl, add the baby arugula and the dressing and toss the salad using wooden spatulas
    7. Transfer to a serving bowl and garnish with bright red pomegranate seeds and roasted pumpkin seeds. Enjoy the warm salad

    You can also follow me on Instagram to be up-to-date with what is cooking my kitchen. If you like this recipe, do rate it and share your comments below. Don’t forget to post your version on Instagram using #foodformyloveblog.

  • Vegan Broccoli Soup

    Broccoli is a bright green cruciferous miracle food. This vegetable provides solid support to many elements of human health. This support is in the form of providing vital vitamins and minerals such as vitamin A, C and potassium. The best part of Broccoli is that it is low in calories, fat free and and has a ton of fiber.

    I am a salad and soup junkie. I will pretty much use any seasonal vegetable in a soup or salad. In fact, soups are a great way to hide vegetables that kids or in my case, my husband does not like (LOL!). This is the best way to leverage the wonderful health benefits of a plethora of vegetables.

    For this soup, both the florets and the stem of the Broccoli has been used. This soup is creamy, vegan and has only 5 ingredients. It is that simple. Despite not using any potatoes or a milk source, the soup still turned out to be thick and silky.

    Prep time15 minutes
    Cook time50 minutes
    Serves2-3

    Ingredients

    Vegetables

    • Broccoli – 5 cups (florets and stem), chopped (Frozen or Fresh)
    • Red Onions – 1 large, cubed

    Nuts

    • Cashews – A handful

    Spices & Herbs

    • Garlic – 1-2 tbsp, crushed
    • Salt – As per taste

    Liquids

    • Vegetable Broth – 2-3 cups (depending on the desired consistency

    Oils

    • Olive Oil – 2-3 tbsp

    Method

    1. Preheat the oven to 425F (Apprx. 220C)
    2. If using fresh Broccoli, wash it under cold running water for 20-30 seconds. Pat dry with a paper towel and place on a baking tray lined with aluminium foil or parchment paper, along with the cubed onions
    3. Drizzle olive oil on the broccoli and onions. Season with salt and add the crushed garlic. Mix together in the tray
    4. Roast the broccoli and onions for 30-35 minutes until they have a good char on them
    5. In the meanwhile, soak the cashews in lukewarm water until the soup is ready to be blended
    6. Once roasted, add the vegetables and the soaked cashews into a blender. Slowly add the vegetable broth in small quantities as you blend the mixture. Blend until the soup is smooth and silky
    7. Transfer the soup to a pot and bring to a simmer. During this process, add more vegetable broth to adjust to the desired consistency
    8. Transfer a ladle full of the hot soup to a bowl. Garnish with red pepper flakes and roasted pumpkin seeds and enjoy!

    You can also follow me on Instagram to be up-to-date with what is cooking my kitchen. If you like this recipe, do rate it and share your comments below. Don’t forget to post your version on Instagram using #foodformyloveblog.