Autumn Vegetable Stew

I have finished my block exams! To celebrate, I'm writing a post on a dish I came up with a couple of weeks ago that I ended up really loving. I mentioned earlier that squash is one of my favorite things about fall, and I thought it would be interesting to integrate it into a soup/stew. I've had acorn squash soup before, but that's more or less pureed squash that's been heated up a bit with some salt and pepper on it. Delicious, but not what I've had in mind. Unfortunately I have no image for this one. I'll definitely be making it again, and when I do I'll post a picture.

**Edit: I've made it a second time, and it was once again awesome. Here's the picture, as promised.

Ingredients:

  - 2 tbsp olive oil

  - 1 medium onion, chopped

  - 4 cloves garlic, sliced

  - 2 carrots, chopped

  - 1 butternut squash with seeds removed, peeled and chopped

  - 1/2 head cauliflower, chopped

  - 1/2 head cabbage, chopped

  - 4 cups water

  - 1 tbsp vegetable bullion

  - 2 14 oz. can white beans, rinsed.

  - 1 tsp dried rosemary

  - 1/2 tsp celery salt

  - 1/4 - 1/2 cup white vinegar (to taste)

  - Grated parmigiano cheese

Instructions:

1. In a large stockpot, saute the onion over medium heat for 5-10 minutes until it begins to caramelize.
2. Add the garlic and saute until it just begins to turn golden, about 3-5 minutes.
3. Add the carrots, squash, and cauliflower. Stirring occasionally, cook for about 15 minutes until the vegetables begin to soften.
4. Add the water, bullion, rosemary, and celery salt. Bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes.
5. Add the cabbage. Return the soup to a boil, and simmer for another 15-20 minutes or until the cabbage is soft.
6. Add the vinegar, stir well, and simmer for a few more minutes.
7. Serve, and garnish with grated parmigiano.

The ingredients above are a little different from how I made it, and I'm pretty confident that the changes will be for the better. I had used only 1/2 of a squash (it's all I had lying around!), and instead of vinegar I used a can of tomatoes to provide a little acidity. The tomatoes were good, but I think that removing them and getting acidic brightness from elsewhere will make the soup better. I also used chicken bullion - again, it's what I had lying around. I don't tend to plan well.

Overall, this may be my favorite dish I've ever made. Make sure you do the parmigiana cheese garnish - it's amazing what that little bit of cheese adds to the dish. If you're the type of classy person who buys wedges of parm, toss a rind into the soup as it's cooking. Some of that flavor will diffuse out, and I can guarantee that you'll end up with a better dish for it. As an added bonus, this is probably one of the healthiest recipes I've posted here.

Final Verdict:

Taste: 4.5/5

Ease: 4/5 (nothing hard, but it's a lot of chopping)

Health: 4.5/5

**Edit: Making it again with the exact ingredients above, it came out creamier and tastier than before. Hooray for good advice