This soup started out as a Stuffed Squash recipe I was developing. I had a lot of leftover filling and, as it was on the bland side, knew we weren’t going to eat it. But as regular readers may know – I HATE waste!!! There was no way I was going to throw it out.
So, I put on my thinking cap. The filling was a mixture of butternut squash, mushrooms, chickpeas, rice, dried cranberries, pecans, and a shallot. An omelette was my first thought…but, no.
Then it occurred to me – SOUP! One can of whole tomatoes, tomato sauce, and an onion later I had an amazing dinner. The result was a delightful blend of textures and flavors.
When life sends you lemons, make lemonade.
STUFFED SQUASH SOUP – makes about 10 cups
- 1 small butternut squash
- 1/2 cup uncooked rice (I use Trader Joe’s 3 Rice Medley)
- 1½ T olive oil
- 1 cup chopped onions
- 1 large shallot, chopped
- 1 T pressed garlic
- 8 oz mushrooms, chopped
- 1 tsp kosher salt (or 1/2 tsp table salt)
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
- 15 oz can garbanzo beans (chickpeas), drained
- 1 cup dried cranberries
- 3/4 cup chopped pecans, toasted
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 28 oz can whole tomatoes, chopped
- 15 oz can tomato sauce
- 1½ cups water
- 1 cup cilantro, chopped
Preheat oven to 375º Fahrenheit.
Wash and dry the butternut squash. You’re going to need to cut it in half lengthwise. In order to prevent injury, soften the squash a bit by microwaving it for 3 minutes ONLY. (You don’t need to pierce it.) Turn it over and zap it for another 30 seconds. Slice it in half lengthwise and place halves cut side down on a rimmed cookie sheet. Bake in 375º F oven for about 25 minutes – until flesh can be pierced with a knife. 
Let cool enough to handle. Scrape out and discard seeds and fibers. Cut into 1/2″ slices, then cut away the peel. Cut flesh into 1/2″ cubes. 
While squash is cooking, cook the rice.
In a Dutch oven, heat the oil over a medium flame. Add in onions and cook for 4 minutes, stirring often. 
Add in shallot, garlic, mushrooms, salt, and pepper. Cook for 5 minutes over medium/high flame, stirring often. 
Add in squash, rice, garbanzo beans, cranberries, pecans, thyme, chopped tomatoes and it’s juice, tomato sauce, and water. Bring to boil, then reduce heat to maintain a simmer for 15 minutes, uncovered.
Stir in cilantro, adjust seasoning if needed, and serve.
My family has fond memories of the teriyaki noodle bowls from a local restaurant that closed years ago. Not only did they serve meat choices, but they offered perfectly grilled tofu, too. It was crispy on the outside and creamy on the inside. Topping it off was a luscious, thick teriyaki sauce.
Liberally coat a nonstick skillet with oil. Heat oil over medium/high until shimmering. Add in tofu and leave undisturbed for at least a minute before moving them. (I suggest using a splatter screen to reduce fallout.) When the tofu is browned on the bottom, flip and cook the other side.
Remove to a baking sheet and leave in the preheated oven to keep warm until the veggies and noodles are cooked.
Bring 2 quarts of water to a full boil. Add noodles (recipe follows) and cook until done – about 5 minutes for homemade.
Drain and add noodles to bowl with veggies.
Form dough into 4 balls and place in the processor with lid. Let rest for at least 30 minutes. 
Using a hand crank pasta machine, roll out dough to one setting thicker than for normal fettuccine (it’s #4 setting on my Atlas machine).
Use the fettuccine blades to cut. 
Vegetarian Cooking For Carnivores BLOG 