Bryanna Clark Grogan’s Vegan Feast Kitchen/ 23rd Century Table

My results for Butternut Squash Soup with Quick Cashew “Cream”

You might know Laura Theodore as "The Jazzy Vegetarian", which is the title of her first book.  Laura is not only an author and talented singer, but is also a popular vegan radio host (she interviewed me a while back) and television cooking show host. She's one busy woman, and very down-to-earth and kind one, too (evidenced by her long-time vegan lifestyle and support of animals). She is an accomplished chef, as well, and her busy lifestyle has made her aware of the need for colorful, healthful, tasty and EASY meals to help other busy vegans put meals on the table.

And that is the theme of her latest cookbook "Laura Theodore's Vegan-ease", which I've had the pleasure of reviewing.  Yes, it it is full of gorgeous photos, but I was impressed by much more than that: 1.) The practical advice and tips about menu planning, holiday menus, tips and recipes, shopping, ingredients, kitchen tools, no-oil cooking, eco-cleaning your kitchen, and basic vegan nutrition; 2.) The concept of the "Ease-Factor" rating for each recipe; 3.) The fact that, though she has soy-free options, she's not afraid to use tofu! 4.) The book is not fat-free, but she's very moderate with fats (and there's a no-oil Crispy Steak Fries recipe!); 5.) The use of whole foods throughout the book; 6.) The dessert recipes are inspiring, but easy on sugar of all kinds; and 7.) Last but not least, colorful, flavorful, interesting dishes made with real foods!

I've got quite a few recipes marked in this book to try soon (Deep Dark Chocolate Truffle Pudding, for one!), but, this being squash season and a bountiful squash year where I live, I chose to try this delectably smooth butternut squash soup for this review. It was a cinch to make, lovely to look at, full of rich flavor and very satisfying.

Bon Appétit!

A photo of this soup from the book Laura Theodore's Vegan-Ease

Butternut Squash Soup with Quick Cashew “Cream” 
Makes 4 to 6 servings / Ease Factor 2

This simple-to-prepare potage is rich in taste and creamy in texture, without the use of dairy. A quick cashew “cream” (no pre-soaking of the cashews required) adds a touch of elegance, and the coconut milk beverage adds richness and depth to this impressive soup.
Recipe from Laura Theodore's Vegan-Ease: An Easy Guide to Enjoying a Plant-Based Diet © Laura Theodore (Jazzy Vegetarian, LLC 2015), reprinted by permission.

5½ cups cubed butternut squash, (about 1 medium squash, peeled, seeded and cut in 1½-inch pieces)
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning blend (I didn't have any, so I used a blend of dried basil, oregano, thyme and rosemary, ground in a spice grinder- BCG)
¼ teaspoon sea salt (Laura recommends that you use salt according to your taste-BCG)
2⁄3 cup raw cashews (I soaked mine in boiling water for 10 minutes before blending-BCG)
2½ cups filtered or spring water, plus more as needed
½ cup unsweetened coconut milk beverage or nondairy milk of your choice (I used soy milk- BCG)
4 to 6 basil leaves, for garnish (optional)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a large, rimmed baking sheet with unbleached parchment paper.

Put the cubed squash, olive oil and Italian seasoning in a large bowl and toss gently until thoroughly coated. Arrange the squash in a single layer on the prepared pan. Bake for 50 minutes, stirring once or twice, until the squash is soft and slightly golden. Put the pan on a wire rack and sprinkle with the sea salt. Let the squash cool for 25 to 30 minutes (see note).

Meanwhile, put the cashews and 1⁄2 cup water in a high-performance blending appliance and process until smooth and creamy. Transfer the cashew “cream” to a small bowl, leaving about 2 heaping tablespoons in the blender container. Add the cooled squash, coconut milk and 2 cups water to the cashew “cream” in the blender container and process until smooth, adding more water, about 1⁄4 cup at a time, as needed, to achieve the desired consistency.

Pour the soup into a medium-sized saucepan, cover and cook over medium-low heat for about 15 minutes, stirring often, until heated through. To serve, ladle the soup into bowls. Using a small spoon, swirl about 1 tablespoon of the cashew “cream” into the top of each serving, in a pretty pattern. Garnish with a basil leaf (optional). Serve piping hot (see notes).

Chef’s Notes
-  You may roast the squash up to 24 hours ahead of time. After cooling, transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate until use.

-  This soup may be made up to 24 hours ahead of time. If making in advance, let the soup cool after blending, pour the cooled soup into an airtight container and refrigerate. To reheat the soup, pour it into a pot. If the soup seems too thick, add a little more water to achieve the desired consistency. Cook for about 15 minutes over medium-low heat, stirring often, until heated through.

- The cashew cream may be made up to 24 hours ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator until use.

Nurtrition Facts:
Amount per serving, based on 6 servings:  93 Calories; 4g Fat; 1g Saturated fat; 2g Protein; 8mg Sodium; 15g Total Carbohydrate; 3g Sugars; 2g Fiber

Enjoy!

An early Christmas present from DH.

I've had the above book, "Silk Road Cooking: A Vegetarian Journey", by Najmieh Batmanglij, for a couple of weeks now. I got it from my library originally through an inter-library loan, and it excited me more than any cookbook has for quite some time, so I just had to have it! I have owned the author's earlier book "Food of Life: Ancient Persian and Modern Iranian Cooking and Ceremonies" for some years now, and thoroughly enjoyed it, but this volume is absolutely amazing. Stunning pictures and travelogue/history of the Silk Road from Genoa to Shanghai make this more than a cookbook. I spent the first week picking up the book at intervals to read the first part, which takes you through exotic, but more familiar, cuisines of Italy, Turkey, India, Persia, and China, but also through the little-known Central Asian countries such as Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. DH immediately ordered it for me for an early Christmas present.

The recipes just have such appetizing combinations of ingredients-- I know that it will add some warmth to the winter to experiment with this book over the next few months. Rose water, saffron, pomegranates in various forms, walnuts, almonds, and all the spices of the Silk Road are common ingredients in these recipes. Here are but a few of the recipes I really want to try:

Mesopotamian Rice salad with Green lentils, Dates and Raisins;

Tunisian Couscous salad with Pine Nuts and Barberries (I'll use dried cranberries instead);

Armenian Bulgur and Pomegranate Stuffed Grapevine Leaves;

Caspian Butternut Squash, Bulgur and Wild Orange Soup;

Azerbaijani Pomegranate and Spinach Soup;

Caspian Fresh Herb Kuku (a type of omelet that I'll veganize) Rolled in Lavash Bread;

Fertile Crescent Bulgur and Mung Bean Pilaf (with chilies, dill, garlic, cumin, onions, ginger, tumeric and a little tomato!);

Shurazi Baked Saffron Polow with Spinach (an elegant rice dish);

Georgian Pilaf with Tart Cherries;

Levantine Pilaf in Pastry (redolent with spices, almonds, carrots, dried fruit and rose water);

Murghal Mushroom Curry;

Kurdish Rhubarb Braise with Aromatic Herbs;

Persian Butternut Squash Braise (with walnuts, sweet spices, onions, dried golden plums);

Afghan Garlic Chive Ravioli with Yogurt Sauce;

Sicilain Fava Bean, Garlic and Dill Crostata;

Mosul Bulgur Patties with Walnut and Pomegranate;

Tashkent Onion and Garlic bread;

Sicilian Sour Cherry and Pistachio Crostata;

Ardebil Quince Baklava Cake;

Amman Semolina Cake with Orange Blossom Glaze;

Shirazi Melon and peach Sorbet with Crystallized Rose Petals;

How can anyone resist such delights? All the recipes, BTW, have fairly long introductions, very interesting and informative. There are many, many vegan recipes in this vegetarian book, and most of the others could easily be veganized.

The recipe that I tried from this book the other day was a simple soup made with items that I had around the house, but with an intriguing combination of flavors. We loved it!



Printable Recipe

BALKH BROWN LENTIL SOUP
Servings: 6

This recipe is from "Silk Road Cooking: A Vegetarian Journey", by Najmieh Batmanglij, with a little tweaking from me. This recipe is popular in what is now Afghanistan, Usbekistan and Tajikistan.

I used a vegetarian broth instead of plain water for a richer flavor.

3 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
2 large onions, peeled and thinly sliced
4 cloves garlic, crushed and chopped
1/2 lb butternut squash or pumpkin, cut into cubes (or spiced butternut puree made for butternut squash soup)
8 cups vegetarian "chicken" broth
2 cups brown lentils
2 tablespoons rice flour (I used brown rice flour)
stirred into 2 cups of water
1/2 cup fresh orange juice
1/4 cup fresh (or organic bottled) lime juice
1 tablespoon angelica powder OR a star anise. (Star anise has a sort of licorice flavor like angelica.)
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 cup chopped fresh parsley
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Heat the oil in a medium-sized heavy pot over medium heat. Add the cumin seeds and stir-fry for 20 seconds. (Keep a lid over them so they don't fly out!) Add the onions, garlic, and squash cubes (but not the puree if that's what you're using) and stir-fry for 10 minutes.

Add the broth and lentils and bring to a boil. reduce the heat, cover and simmer it until the lentils are tender, about 50 minutes. Stir occasionally.

Stir in the rice flour which you have stirred with the 2 cups of water, the orange and lime juices, the angelica powder or star anise, and cayenne. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, cover and cook for 40 mire minutes, stirring occasionally.

Taste for salt and season to taste with freshly-ground black pepper. Don't forget to discard the star anise, if you used it, before serving. Sprinkle each serving generously with coarsely-chopped parsley before serving. (The parsley is important!)

Nutrition Facts
Nutrition (per serving): 342.1 calories; 19% calories from fat; 7.8g total fat; 0.0mg cholesterol; 936.6mg sodium; 905.0mg potassium; 53.4g carbohydrates; 21.5g fiber; 9.4g sugar; 31.9g net carbs; 21.0g protein; 6.7 points.

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The second book, "Food & Wine: Quick From Scratch Italian Cookbook", was a new find at the library just a few days ago. I must confess that I only had a quick look at it, but the stew recipe I tried for dinner yesterday sounded appetizing for a cold autumn day and I had everything I needed for it. It was excellent!



Printable Recipe

VEGANIZED ITALIAN SAUSAGES, POTATOES AND ARTICHOKE HEARTS IN TOMATO BROTH
Servings: 4

Adapted from a recipe in “Food & Wine: Quick From Scratch Italian Cookbook”. I found that it needed a few more herbs and more liquid, but that's all I changed in the recipe (except for the vegetarian sausages and veggie broth, of course! Very easy to make.

1 tablespoon olive oil
4 Field Roast Italian Sausages, OR Tofurky Veggie Italian Sausages
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 1/2 lbs Yukon Gold potatoes (about 5), scrubbed and cut into 1-inch chunks
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
1/2 teaspoon dried red chili flakes
1/2 cup dry red or white wine (can be de-alcoholized)
1 1/2 cups vegetarian "chicken" broth
1 cup canned thick crushed tomatoes
1 1/2 cups drained and rinsed halved canned artichoke hearts (one 14-ounce can)
1/2 teaspoon salt
freshly-ground black pepper to taste
Garnish
6 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

In a large heavy pot, heat the oil over moderately high heat. Add the sausages (cut them into 2 or three pieces each) and brown well, about 5 minutes. Remove the sausages from the pot and set aside.

Reduce the heat to moderate. Add the garlic, potatoes, red pepper flakes, rosemary and thyme. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add the wine and boil until reduced to approximately 4 tablespoons-- 2 to 3 minutes.

Stir in the broth, tomatoes, artichoke hearts, salt, and the browned sausages. Bring to a simmer and cook, covered, until the potatoes are tender, about 30 minutes. Add freshly-ground black pepper to taste and 2 tablespoons parsley. Serve with a tablespoon of parsley over each serving.

Nutrition Facts
Nutrition (per serving): 480.6 calories; 26% calories from fat; 13.9g total fat; 0.0mg cholesterol; 1215.0mg sodium; 1382.2mg potassium; 54.7g carbohydrates; 11.6g fiber; 2.4g sugar; 43.2g net carbs; 32.4g protein; 10.0 points.

Pardon the terrible photo-- I tried to clean it up, but it's still not very good! There wasn't much light!

Okay, this is NOT a low-fat recipe, but, hey, once in a while you have to have peanut sauce!

I want to apologize for not blogging much these last few weeks-- been a bit overwhelmed with things, including family stuff (all good!). I must confess that I have not been cooking anything very exciting. I hope that will change soon!

This recipe is adapted from one in Bon Appetit magazine, so it's a good example of using a recipe idea and utilizing what you have in the house or garden to make a new dish.

What inspired me to make it was finding some viable kale still growing in the garden after the snow melted! The original recipe called for zucchini, but I had butternut squash, which I think is a better color contrast anyway, and I like the melty richness of it. I thought the sauce needed a bit more zest, and made it accordingly, thinning it out a little more, as well.

The cooking method for the veggies was a bit strange-- grilling. I used my oven's broiler instead, with good results. My kale was nice and small and tender, so it was pretty good cooked that way. If the kale had been older, I think I would have stir-fried/braised it in a pan with some oil.

We all loved it, and I hope you will, too!

Printable Recipe

NOODLES WITH PEANUT SAUCE AND BROILED KALE AND BUTTERNUT SQUASH
Servings: 8

This was a big hit with DH and my friend Holly. If you prefer, you can have all the ingredients heated and serve the dish hot instead of at room temperature.

1 cup chunky peanut butter
2/3 cup water
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
3 Tbs unseasoned rice vinegar
2-3 Tbs soy sauce (to taste)
2 Tbs toasted sesame seeds
2 Tbs chopped peeled fresh ginger
3 cloves, garlic, peeled
1 Tbs Thai or Vietnamese hot chili sauce (no fish), such as Sriracha
12 oz dried udon noodles or egg-free (flour and water) Chinese noodles (gan mian or ji mian) or spaghettini
1 1/4 lbs butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1/4 inch thick slices, about 1" x1/2"
12 oz small, tender, green curly kale, stems removed, cut into wide slices
oil in a pump sprayer
1 bunch green onions, thinly sliced
1/2 cup chopped dry-roasted, unsalted peanuts

Blend the peanut butter, water, brown sugar, rice vinegar, soy sauce, sesame seeds, ginger, garlic, and chili sauce in blender or food processor until smooth, adding more water by tablespoonfuls if too thick. Set aside until ready to serve. This sauce can be made 1 day ahead, in which case cover and refrigerate; then bring to room temperature before serving.

Cook the noodles according to the package directions. Drain the noodles in a colander, running hot water over them. Set aside in the sink to drain..

Place the squash pieces in one layer on a large cookie sheet, spray lightly with oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Broil about 3" under the heat source until the squash tender and slightly charred, on both sides. Add the kale on top of the squash, spray with oil, and sprinkle with salt. Broil briefly until the kale is tender and a little brown around edges. Watch it carefully-- it doesn't take long!

ALTERNATELY, you can stir-fry the kale in a bit of oil until tender.

Toss the drained cooked noodles, green onions, and peanut sauce in large bowl. Divide noodle mixture among 8 bowls. Top noodle mixture with squash and kale. Sprinkle each serving with chopped peanuts. (This is served at room temperature.)

Servings: 8

Nutrition Facts
Nutrition (per serving): 501.1 calories; 37% calories from fat; 22.6g total fat; 0.0mg cholesterol; 325.6mg sodium; 969.8mg potassium; 65.8g carbohydrates; 7.7g fiber; 11.8g sugar; 58.1g net carbs; 17.1g protein; 11.1 points.


Enjoy!

What is Vegan MoFo? Click here to find out!





We had our Thanksgiving dinner last night with 3 vegan couples, good friends and fellow food-lovers. We had a great time and ate way too much, as usual! One really nice thing about the meal was that most of the vegetables and fruits-- the chard, the squash, the potatoes, the apples, the pears, the chantarelles, the beets, even the gourds decorating the table-- were locally grown (mostly by ourselves or our friends) and organic!

I made most of the meal, but I spread it out over the week, making the "Turkey" 4 days ahead, the stuffing, Cashew creme Topping, and Pear Cranberry Sauce 2 days ahead, and the Tofu Pot Pie and pastry for the tart the night before.

Our menu this year was:

Chard and Apple Salad with Maple-Glazed Butternut Squash and Raspberry-Balsamic Vinaigrette (recipe below)



Soy and Seitan "Turkey"

Tofu Pot Pie

Traditional Sage and Onion Bread Stuffing

Pelka's Rosemary Roasted Potatoes

Rich Brown Gravy

Pelka's Orange and Wine-Glazed Beets

Pear Cranberry Sauce



Italian Pear Tart with Cashew Creme Topping



Sarah's Vegan Steamed Pumpkin Pudding with Pecan Topping and Brown Sugar Sauce


Sarah's Steamed Pumpkin Pudding was absolutely stunning and scrumptious!

I'd like to share the salad recipe with you. I wanted to use our chard and a nice local butternut squash that I had, and I needed a salad, so this is what I came up with. It was super-delicious and a big hit!



Printable Recipe

BRYANNA'S CHARD AND APPLE SALAD WITH MAPLE-BRAISED BUTTERNUT SQUASH AND RASPBERRY-BALSAMIC VINAIGRETTE
Servings: 4-8

Salad:
8 oz. Swiss chard (Ruby chard is nice), washed and spun, and thinly sliced
2 medium apples (crisp ones), thinly-sliced
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Squash:
1 tablespoon olive oil
2-3 cups cubed, peeled butternut squash
1 tablespoon soy bacon bits or chips
1/4 teaspoon salt
freshly-ground black pepper to taste
3 tablespoons maple syrup
OPTIONAL:
8 oz thickly-sliced chanterelle mushrooms, sauteed in 1 tablespoon Earth Balance
Raspberry-Balsamic Vinaigrette: (you can make this ahead of time)
4 1/2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons mashed fresh or frozen, thawed raspberries (unsweetened)
1/3 cup aquafaba or Fat-Free Oil Substitute for Salad Dressings
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3/4 tablespoon agave nectar
1/2 tablespoon grated orange zest
1/2 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
3/8 teaspoon salt
1 clove garlic, crushed
freshly-ground black pepper to taste

In a large bowl, mix together the chard, apples and lemon jujice. Cover and set aside in a cool place.

Heat the olive oil for the squash in a large nonstick skillet over high heat. Add the squash cubes and soy bacon bits, the salt and pepper. Quickly brown the squash a bit on all sides, then turn the heat to medium, cover, and braise for about 10 minutes, or until the squash is cooked through but not mushy. Check it every few minutes. Stir in the maple syrup and turn up the heat, stirring gently to glaze the squash cubes. remove from heat.

To make the Vinaigrette, mix all of the ingredients together and whisk, blend or shake.

Divide the chard-apple mixture between your plates and then top each with some of the squash. If you are using the optional chantarelles, top the squash with them. Drizzle each portion with a little of the Vinaigrette and serve immediately.

Nutrition Facts
Nutrition (per serving): 138.9 calories; 45% calories from fat; 7.2g total fat; 0.0mg cholesterol; 229.0mg sodium; 381.5mg potassium; 19.7g carbohydrates; 2.7g fiber; 10.4g sugar; 17.0g net carbs; 1.5g protein; 2.8 points.

For 4 larger servings, the Nutrition Facts are: Nutrition (per serving): 277.8 calories; 45% calories from fat; 14.4g total fat; 0.0mg cholesterol; 457.9mg sodium; 763.1mg potassium; 39.4g carbohydrates; 5.5g fiber; 20.7g sugar; 34.0g net carbs; 3.0g protein; 6.0 points.

For 6 servings: Nutrition (per serving): 185.2 calories; 45% calories from fat; 9.6g total fat; 0.0mg cholesterol; 305.3mg sodium; 508.7mg potassium; 26.3g carbohydrates; 3.6g fiber; 13.8g sugar; 22.6g net carbs; 2.0g protein; 3.8 points.


Enjoy!

I've been intrigued by cocoa nibs lately. They are in vogue right now, but many are at a loss as how to use them (me, too!). Loving almost all things chocolate, I bought some at my natural foods store and began researching. They are not sweetened, so they have a deep, slightly bitter flavor, and a crunchy texture.

In my research, I found an article about cocoa nibs by Alice Medrich on the Scharffen Berger Chocolate website (I did have a link to this, but they seem to have removed the article and I can't find it online anymore), a cookbook writer of great renown in the chocolate world and beyond.

She wrote: "Cocoa nibs are the purest, most elemental form of chocolate available. Curious chocolate lovers and cooks should be excited. Nibs are tiny nuggets of roasted cocoa beans, not yet crushed or ground to homogeneity, not yet transformed into unsweetened chocolate or processed into smoother or more refined forms of sweetened chocolate. In short, nibs are cocoa beans on the brink of becoming chocolate and, as such, they are a unique and fascinating new ingredient."

She ends the article:

"Over the last several months, I have tried nibs in almost everything, from hors d'oeuvres to dessert. Lesson No. 1 is: Do not expect nibs to act like chocolate chips; they are neither sweet, smooth nor soft.

With the idea of exploring the nut-like qualities of nibs, I started my experiments by baking all kinds of cookies. Butter cookies are an especially good medium. The nutty-but-chocolatey flavors in the nibs infuse the rich cookie gradually, getting more pronounced over a few days, during which time the flavor and texture of a butter cookie always improves anyway. The cookie is crunchy and the nibs are, delightfully, even crunchier; a happy union. I've found that nibs work best in cookies that bake for a relatively short time. Long baking, or twice baking as for biscotti, often results in excessive bitterness.

A few sweet and savory ideas

Here are some ideas for using cocoa nibs in your home.

Grind some nibs with coffee beans before making coffee

Sprinkle nibs, as you would toasted nuts, on a simple salad of field greens dressed with good olive oil and red wine vinegar

Add nibs to Bolognese sauce (vegan, of course! BCG)

Make your favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe but omit the chocolate chips. Add 2/3 cup of coarsely chopped nibs and 1 cup each currants (or raisins) and walnuts. Make the cookies small and dainty.

Sprinkle nibs on bread and butter; sprinkle with sugar if desired.

Sprinkle nibs over ice cream"



I wasn't too impressed with them in the chocolate chip cookie, but thought they might have possibilities in a savory dish. I think she's right in her assessment that they shine in a simple cookie, such as a "butter" cookie. I've always loved Mexican dishes containing chocolate, but there are some savory Italian dishes that could handle some chocolate, as well. I am working on some ideas!

In the meantime, I got Alice's book Bittersweet out of the library and found that she had some interesting savory dishes in it. The following soup intrigued me, and I happened to have roasted two large squash the day before, so I decided to veganize it. Despite some remarks by reviewers that this recipe sounded "weird" or "strange", we loved it! When you stir the cocoa creme into your portion of the soup, it adds such a depth of flavor!



Printable Recipe

BRYANNA'S VEGAN VERSION OF ALICE MEDRICH'S ROASTED SQUASH SOUP WITH COCOA BEAN CREAM
Servings: 6  (Gluten-Free and can be Soy-Free)
"A perfectly delicious fall soup with the added delight of drizzled cream infused with crushed cocoa beans." The original recipe is from Alice Medrich's book "Bittersweet: Recipes and Tales from a Life in Chocolate" (Artisan, NY, 2003).



It IS perfectly delicious! I veganized this, used a slightly-different cooking method, and added a few minor touches of my own. It just seemed to need a little boost when I tasted it in the pot, which is why I added the agave and sherry.

1 3/4 lb oven-roasted , peeled butternut squash
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
2 Tbs olive oil
6 cups chicken-style vegetarian bouillon-- I like Better Than Bouillon Vegan No-Chicken Soup Base (the original recipe called for only 4 cups, but I added 2 cups more because my soup was too thick)
1/4 cup dry sherry (my addition- BCG)
1 Tbs chopped fresh sage leaves (or 1 tsp dried-- but NOT powdered- BCG)
1 Tbs agave nectar (my addition- BCG)
1/2 tsp salt
freshly-ground white pepper
Vegan Cocoa Creme:
3 Tbs cocoa nibs (crushed as directed in recipe below)
2 Tbs full-fat soymilk or nut milk
2 Tbs vegan coffee creamer
6 Tbs vegan sour creme, commercial or homemade (my tofu sour creme and my cashew sour creme)

In the original recipe:
2 1/2 to 3 lbs. butternut squash was called for, quartered, peeled and seeded and cut into chunks, then roasted with the onions (cut into 8ths), olive oil and salt at 450°F for 25 minutes or until tender.

In my version of the recipe:
I had already roasted quite a bit of squash the same way, minus the salt, so I used 1 3/4 lb. pre-roasted, peeled squash, and I sautéed the onion, chopped, in the olive oil right in the pot, and added the salt to the soup.

So, here's what I did:
In a large soup pot, heat the olive oil and saute the onions over medium-high heat until tender and a little browned. Add the squash, bouillon, sherry, agave, sage, and salt. Simmer briefly while you prepare the Creme.

Crush the cocoa nibs with a rolling pin between sheets of cooking parchment. Mix the cocoa nibs with the soy or nut milk in a small pitcher and microwave at half power for 1 minute, or bring to a simmer in a small saucepan, to infuse the milk with the cocoa flavor. Mix together the creamer and sour creme with a small whisk. Mix in the cocoa/milk mixture. Set aside.

Puree the soup in the pot with a hand immersion blender untl very smooth. Add the pepper and taste for salt.

Divide between 6 soup bowls. Drizzle the cocoa creme over each bowl and serve.

Nutrition Facts
Nutrition (per serving): 134.7 calories; 33% calories from fat; 5.2g total fat; 0.0mg cholesterol; 218.3mg sodium; 331.8mg potassium; 19.2g carbohydrates; 1.3g fiber; 4.3g sugar; 17.9g net carbs; 2.7g protein; 2.9 points.

Enjoy!