Silent Sunday | Roasted Kabocha & Fennel Soup

I'm not feeling particularly loquacious today. The rain has me looking inward and reflecting. Thinking and mulling. Evaluating and re-evaluating. I want to make myself a priority and embark on a path I truly love that also inspires and challenges me. And, I want to make sure that path also inspires and challenges others. There's a lot to take in and consider. And a lot of thinking and planning to be done.

Instead of feeling pressured to write when I don't really have the words, I've decided to start a silent series here on the blog. I'll share a lovely recipe without the typical story or reflection. Today I'll leave you with this soup. It's velvety smooth and the flavor combination is killer. You get a bit of sweetness from the kabocha and fennel along with earthiness from the sage and gentle heat from the chili powder. If I had to personify fall in a bowl, this would be it. It's perfect for filling your bowl and your belly while the wind howls outside your window.

Roasted Kabocha & Fennel Soup 

1 kabocha squash
2 fennel bulbs
5 un-peeled garlic cloves
3/4 cup cashews, soaked at least 2 hours
12 fresh sage leaves
1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
1/2 tsp chipotle chili powder (or regular chili powder)
juice of 1 lemon
3 cups of water
sea salt to taste

pumpkin seeds & fennel fronds to serve (optional)

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or foil. Rinse any dirt off the kabocha then cut it in half and scoop out the seeds/pulp (you can reserve them and toast them later like you would pumpkin seeds). Cut each of the halves in half again so that you have 4 wedges. Remove the core from the fennel bulbs and discard it. Roughly chop the fennel bulbs into large pieces. Arrange the fennel, squash, and un-peeled garlic cloves on your lined baking sheet so that nothing is overlapping. Roast the squash, fennel, and garlic for approximately 45-60 minutes until the squash is soft and the fennel has caramelized on the edges. You may have to remove the fennel before the squash is done so that it does not burn.

While the veggies are roasting, drain and rinse the cashews then add them to a blender along with the water, sage, and thyme leaves. Run the blender on high until you have you have what resembles cashew milk. Add all but 1 cup of this mixture to a large pot, leaving the remaining 1 cup in the blender.

When the veggies are done, remove them from the oven and let them cool a bit. Add the fennel to the blender with the cashew milk mixture. Squeeze the roasted garlic out of the skins, then add them to the blender. Lastly, separate the squash flesh from the skin and add it to the blender along with the juice of 1 lemon. Run the blender on high (or if you have a Blendtec, use the soup setting) until you create a smooth and thick puree. Add this puree to the pot with the cashew milk mixture and whisk until combined. Set the pot over medium low heat and add the chili powder and sea salt to taste. Warm the soup to your liking then serve topped with a sprinkling of pumpkin seeds and fennel fronds. Makes roughly 6-8 servings.