Black Bean and Butternut Squash Soup!

Not everyone likes beans.  For some people black beans rank right up there with lima beans.   I'm sure even lima beans try their hardest to be delicious - going incognito with other ingredients hoping no one will notice that funky taste. 

Black bean soup has been one of my favorite soups....forever!  Then I ran across this variation - a little spicy, and little sweet.  And hey, doesn't that pretty much describe us all?

The soup starts with a butternut squash.  A lot of people I've talked to like them, but hate them because they're so difficult to prepare.  So, let's do a B.S. 101 (yes, I mean butternut squash 101) 

The easiest way I've found to peel one these bad boys, is to stand it up straight, grab my trusty veggie peeler, and peel from top to bottom in long strokes.  Keep some of the peel at the top to give you something to hold on to.

Time for a little target practice.  Prop your squash on a picnic table outside away from any people or pets...stand about 10ft away....no, no, no.  Just kidding.  

Insert the knife in the "bellybutton" of the squash and then cut down.  Turn the squash around and do the same thing towards the top.  You should now have two nice squash halves.

 Slice the squash into about 1- 1 1/2" slices and then cut those into 1" squares.  Think of it like cubing cheese...about that size, bite-size.  If you cut larger pieces, they will take longer to cook and they will just not be as "fun" to eat. 

For this soup, you'll need black beans, onion, garlic, salsa, Penzeys Chili 3000 (or chili powder, and cumin), cilantro and water.  Sour cream  goes SO well with this soup - so you might need to run to the store.

 (whoops! I forgot the "saute' the garlic and onions in a little olive oil" photo.  It goes here.  

But, you don't really need a picture of that, now do you?)

 Anywho...as I was saying...after you've sauteed your garlic and onions in a little oil,  then it's ALMOST everyone in the pool.  Add to it the salsa, squash, water, seasonings.  Don't add the beans just yet.  Bring to a boil then reduce heat to low and cover until the squash is tender.

So, while that's boiling, let's talk a moment about beans.  Most recipes say to rinse when using canned beans.  This recipe, however, does not.  It is your preference.  For this recipe, I rinsed, and the soup was still delicious.  

You feel free to follow your convictions, no one will mind.

After about 20 minutes or so, you can add the beans and just allow them to warm up.  A little trick to helping thicken this soup is to mash up some of the beans before you add them in.

Here we are...a little dollop of sour cream and some cilantro 

(my cilantro was on vacation, so parsley stood in for him).  

This is such a good variation of black bean soup and it's nice this

 time of year when you have butternut squash so readily available.  

Black Bean and Butternut Squash Soup

1 tablespoon(s) olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

2 clove(s) garlic, chopped

Half of 1 medium butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1/2 - 1" dice

1 tablespoon of Penzeys Chili 3000 (or 1 T chili powder, 1/4 t cumin)

1 jar (16 ounces) mild salsa (choose your heat)

1 cup water

2 cans  low-sodium black beans (you can rinse, or not rinse)

sour cream (optional)

1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves, chopped (optional)

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In 4-quart saucepan, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic; cook until soft, stirring occasionally. Stir in sweet potatoes, chili powder, salsa, and water; heat to boiling. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook 12 to 15 minutes or until squash is fork-tender, stirring occasionally. Add beans with (or without) their liquid and cook until heated through.

Serve with sour cream and cilantro, if desired.