I think fall might be my favorite season. I love the coolness in the air and the transition to warmer clothes. As a hermit homebody, I like the shorter days that force me indoors to cook, read books or just cozy up to the fireplace. What I love most of all about fall is the introduction of fall fruits and vegetables.
I found some pears at my local farm stand that I’ve been chopping up to eat with my breakfast oatmeal:
It is a little early for butternut squash at my farmers’ market, but I bought some at the store that I roasted in a small amount of coconut oil to add into a stew. I used a ton of other veggies including blanched cauliflower:
Chard torn into bits:
And all of these goodies (corn, peppers, onions, garlic and beans):
I layered the vegetables into my biggest pot:
And just added water to cover. Then I simmered it for 20ish minutes and used my hand-immersion blender to make it smooth but still chunky:
It was really warming and nutritious and made about 12 servings, most of which went into the freezer for future meals. You could say I’m stocking up for the winter?
Fall-Inspired Butternut Squash & Cauliflower Stew – Serves 10-12
Ingredients:
1 large butternut squash, cut up and roasted in a small amount of coconut oil at 400 degrees for 30 minutes
1 head cauliflower, chopped and blanched for 3 minutes
2 onions, chopped
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 head of chard, washed and torn into bits
corn kernels from 5 ears of corn or about 1 1/2 cups (you can use fresh, canned or frozen)
3 red bell peppers, chopped
2 cups beans
6 cups water
Directions:
In a large pot, water-saute onion, garlic and peppers for 3-5 minutes or until soft. Add chard and sauté until wilted. Add beans, squash and cauliflower and cover with water (about 6 cups). Bring to a boil and then turn heat down to medium and simmer for 15-20 minutes. Use a hand-immersion blender to smoothen texture but keep it chunky.
I recently added two new features to my home page including a tag cloud for my recipe ingredients (click on an ingredient and it will bring up all the posts using that ingredient) and a list of categories that will bring up posts for items like Vita-Mix, Dr. Fuhrman, Gluten-Free Meals, etc. Check it out!
I’m doing a review of the new book Thrive Foods on Friday and will be including a recipe from the book for Sour Cream & Onion Kale Chips (vegan, of course). I made them yesterday and they were crispy, flavorful and reminiscent of potato chips. They were so good that they’re already gone! I can’t wait to share the recipe with you.
This week I’m growing staph bacteria from my skin (!!!) for my Microbio lab and we’re studying the food system in my Environmental Health class. It’s going to be a busy week especially since I’m traveling next weekend to the Bay Area. It should be a fun trip especially because I’ll be attending the San Francisco World Vegetarian Day Festival.
What’s the fall ingredient or dish you’re most looking forward to eating?
{ 17 comments… read them below or add one }
This looks absolutely mouthwatering; I love that the end result looks so textured and soul-satisfying. Bookmarking this!
Thanks Amber!
It looks great! I don’t like cauliflower, but I can imagine that it is easily replaced by another vegetable (another reason why I love soups).
Sometimes I’m jealous that you had the heart to change your profession. I’m becoming more and more interested in food, nutrition and health and would love to know more about it.
Hi Sara, I used to hate cauliflower until I tried blanching it. Also, in the soup it doesn’t really have any flavor, you might want to try it again. I find cooked cauliflower a lot less offensive than broccoli. It’s funny that you say you’re jealous of me because I am usually the one battling jealousy of other people, so I know how you feel. I originally wanted to be a doctor when I was in college and so I always battle jealousy when people say they are going to medical school. But, becoming a dietitian fits well into my lifestyle where going to medical school wouldn’t. I guess the only thing I can say is that you can still follow your passion without totally changing your life and just try to be grateful for what you have, that’s what I try to do.
Thank you for the tip!
. I’m happy with where I am right now, I think it’s something for the future (or maybe I’ve changed my mind by then). Anyway, good luck with it!
I always try to be grateful for what I have, I think it’s something about the human kind to just want that tiny bit more
I’m most excited about fall squashes! I haven’t had them in forever – not entirely sure why – and it’s going to be butternutpalooza at my house very soon
Ha ha, I like that, “butternutpalooza.”
The stew looks awesome! I love how it looks and the essence of fall
I love using pumpkin in the fall–in everything!
Good luck with your busy week!
Thanks Lisa! I’m actually not a huge fan of pumpkin, unless it’s in a pie of course. But, I do love all of the other squashes.
I have a question….I am not a fan of fresh squash as I find the thick skin hard to deal with. How do you remove the skin? peel it? cut it away?
I want to try this, but minus the cauliflower LOL Not a fan.
I love chard!! It makes my stir frys pretty
Hi Robyn, if I’m in a hurry, I’ll buy the pre-cut butternut squash and I always buy the canned pumpkin. To prepare a butternut squash, I use a vegetable peeler to cut off the skin. Then, I use my biggest knife to cut it in half to get out the seeds. Then, I cut it into chunks. The kabocha squash is easier to prep because the skin is edible (and delicious!). For that one, I just cut it in half, empty out the seeds and then cut it into slices. I usually roast squash in a 400 degree oven for 30 minutes or so, usually in a little bit of coconut oil. YUM!
Hi Carrie…I made this last night and it was AMAZING!!!! So good, so healthy….perfect for the first cool night of autumn!!!! I am SO happy there was enough for dinner tonight too!!!
Hi Judy, thanks for letting me know! I’m so glad that you liked it. Yes, I love having leftovers, it’s so convenient and even better when it’s something healthy.
How scrumptious this soup looks! And chock full of fall veggies. Mmmm… I love cauliflower, though typically not in soup, but I think that blending it up like you’ve done will solve that (like you told Sara).
Thanks Helen! Let me know if you try it and what you think.
This look delishhh! but i was wondering, are those dried or canned beans? I want to make thisssssss
Hi Mandy, you would want to use cooked beans in this recipe, whether canned or cooked from scratch ahead of time.
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