You've probably heard it over and over again, but there really is no match for homemade stock. Store bought broth can't compare to the robust, simmering flavors offered by fresh stock using real ingredients.
The tops of carrots, stems of kale, ends or celery, and skins of onions are all parts that we would normally throw away or compost. But, these parts hide another identity. Together they can make a delicious veggie broth base that can be used in a variety of recipes.
Today, we are going to use it as a base for this butternut squash soup!
For the final touches, serve this soup up with some ReGrained Salt and Pepper Puffs for added crunch!
Add this second soup to your upcycled recipe book with our previously posted Tomato and Red Pepper soup.
Vegetable Scrap Stock:
First, start gathering your scraps. Ends of onions, carrots, celery, leeks, peppers, and garlic are some great options for your stock. We store our scraps in the freezer until we have filled a gallon size bag (about 6 cups of scraps). This will make 2-3 quarts of stock.
Ingredients:
6 cups vegetable scraps, (about a gallon sized bag)
2-3 quarts water
Directions:
1) Combine water and vegetable scraps in a large pot
2) Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, reduce to a simmer and cook for at least 1 hour, and up to 8
3) Strain vegetable scraps (the scraps can be composted). Store broth in the refrigerator or freezer until needed.
Butternut Squash Coconut Milk Soup:
Ingredients:
1 butternut squash
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon oil, divided
1 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, sliced
1 inch piece ginger, sliced
¼ teaspoon black pepper, to taste
½ teaspoon salt, to taste
1 teaspoon coriander
½ cup coconut milk
2-3 cups vegetable scrap broth (see below)
Directions
1) Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Cut the butternut squash in half, length-wise, oil the cut side and place the oil side down on a sheet pan. Bake for 35-45 minutes until tender.
2) In a large pot, add the remaining tablespoon of oil, onion, garlic, ginger, coriander, salt, and pepper. Saute for 8-10 minutes.
3) Add the butternut and broth. Cook for another 10 minutes.
4) Blend the mixture in a high speed blender.
5) Return the mixture to the pot and add the coconut milk.
6) Serve with additional coconut milk or plain.