Nourish the Budding Lotus

Porcini Squash Soup with White Truffle Oil

As rhubarb and strawberries make their springtime debut on blogs across the Northern Hemisphere, I know that my Porcini Squash Soup does not sound very timely…but I promise you there is good reason for this soup to appear on my blog.  Firstly, this soup is delicious!  It is rich, creamy and hearty, and makes me feel like I am dining a a fine restaurant when I eat it.

Secondly, I have this tendency to make these great recipes throughout a season but never find the time to share them on my blog.  Once that season comes around again I find myself saying, “remember that delicious [ fill in blank ] that I used to make?  I wish I remembered how I made it.”  So, I am sharing this recipe not only for all of you, but selfishly for me.  It is too delicious to forget how to make it.  This one is definitely one to be repeated year after year.

I made a beautiful batch of this right before I took a trip to Key West, Florida to visit my parents and reconnect with some of my friends.  I went from the end of winter weather in the high desert to the steamy tropics.  I traded in warm soups for cool smoothies with fresh greens picked right from my mother’s garden.  I started each morning with a bike ride to Fort Zachary State Park to attend Yoga on the Beach.

Have you ever taken a yoga class on the beach?  It is fantastic!  We were under the pines on a smoothed out portion of the beach, watching boats pass by, birds plunging into the water for their morning meal and waves gently crashing on the shore.  It was very healing for me.  I took a week off of giving bodywork and just attended to my own body’s needs and it felt so good.

I explored the island with new eyes. No longer a resident of Key West, I started to see different forms of beauty I had not caught before. The light, texture, color and natural beauty of Key West.

It was a great visit and apparently while I was gone the weather was beautiful in Santa Fe as well. But as I walked off of the plane onto the tarmac in Santa Fe, it was snowing!  Quite a surprise and a reminder that soup season was not quite over.  So I gathered up ingredients and made one last batch of my delicious Porcini Squash Soup, waiting for the clouds to clear while I edited photos and reminisced about my sweet week in the tropics.

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Porcini Mushroom and Kabocha Squash Soup

1 lb kabocha squash
1 cup dried mixed beans*
1/2 medium yellow onion, diced
4 stalks celery, chopped
1/4 c dried porcini mushroom
2 T olive oil
1/2 t salt
1/4 t thyme
2 bay leaves
water
white truffle oil

The day before:

Soak dried beans overnight.

The day of:

Rinse beans and cook with bay leaves in fresh water for 1 hour.  Once the beans are cooked lightly salt them.

Cut the squash in half, scoop out the seeds and roast in the oven at 400 F, face down on a pan for 40-60 minutes.  Remove from oven and let cool.  Remove the skin and puree the squash in a food processor (you may need to add a small amount of water).

Soak the dried porcini mushrooms in warm water for at least 30 minutes.

Meanwhile in a large soup pot heat olive oil on medium heat and once warm, add the onions.  Cook for about 2 minutes or until the onions become translucent.

Add chopped celery, salt and thyme and cook for another 5 minutes.

Dice the soaked porcini and add with the soaking water to the pan.

Add the pureed squash and cooked beans with their water.  Mix all ingredients together and add additional water to desired consistency.  (I usually make sure there is just enough liquid to reach the top of the beans, but still keeping the thick texture).

Bring the soup to a boil and then simmer for 20 minutes.

Serve with homemade gluten-free crouton and a light drizzle of white truffle oil.

*Note:  You can make your own bean mix if you prefer.  I used fava, pinto, lentils, split peas, black beans and navy beans.[/print_this]