I don’t know how to start this post. It feels disingenuous to beebop in here like “HaY GuYz HeRe’S sOmE SoUp” when the world is what it is. When I feel heavy and sad and deeply angered.
But I’m encouraged by this post from OhHappyDani on Instagram. Where do we go from here? We move forward, we amplify voices more qualified than ours, we learn, we ACT, and we keep showing up. Here’s a super, SUPERRR quick (and by no means exhaustive) list of some Black teachers and creators I follow and support. Aside from Kim, each of these other teachers and creators were shared with me by someone else. It’s important to share the work of others that impacts your life, and I’d love for you to check them out.
- My friend Kim, especially her essays Finding my Own Expressions of Blackness and How I Feel Right Now as a Black Woman. (To my Tulsa friends–please catch her Insta highlights on Topeca.)
- Prayers from Terry
- Black Coffee with White Friends
- Mockingbird History Lessons
- Black Liturgies
- No White Saviors
- Be the Bridge
- The Conscious Kid
- Morgan Harper Nichols
- Glo Graphics
I’ll point out that, on the whole, these teachers come from a perspective of faith. If that’s not your vibe there are plenty of wonderful resources and teachers available; I’d love to point you in that direction.
So then…what’s next? We feed our people. There is absolutely no judgement here if that’s fast food, frozen pizza, or a daily Braum’s shake. You need to tend to yourself, too.
For me, I channel my feelings into chopping and stirring and tasting. This soup is a family favorite of adults and kids alike. It’s simple, healthy, and makes great leftovers–freeing up your time to listen, learn, and be with your people. A note of warning, though–if you don’t like butternut squash you won’t like this. Just…don’t even try. Love me anyway. 😜
butternut squash soup
Ingredients
- 1 butternut squash, cut in half lengthwise
- 1 sweet potato, pricked with a fork
- 1 yellow onion, quartered
- 13.5 oz (1 can) coconut milk*
- ½ teaspoon Better than Bouillon*
- ½ heaping teaspoon curry powder
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric*
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- Olive oil, salt, and pepper for roasting
- Toppings as needed
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375.
- Drizzle a couple teaspoons of olive oil onto a rimmed cookie sheet and rub in with your hands. You could also add foil and spray/rub oil, too, for easier clean up.
- Cut your butternut squash in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds.
- Drizzle a bit more olive oil on the squash, rubbing to coat. Sprinkle on some kosher salt and black pepper.
- Place your cut and seasoned squash face down onto your prepared pan.
- Poke holes in your sweet potato and rub lightly with olive oil. Place on prepared pan.
- Keeping your quartered onion sections intact, drizzle with a bit of olive oil and rub lightly. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and place on prepared pan.
- Place your baking sheet into your oven and pour ¼ cup water directly onto the pan. Trust me, here! This will steam your butternut squash while also allowing it to get color from contact with the pan.
- Check on your sweet potato and onion at about the 30 minute mark. Flip over/rotate as needed to keep from burning.
- Check on your onion about 15 minutes later. If it's browning too quickly, remove and set to the side.
- After an hour total of cooking time, check on your squash and sweet potato. You should be able to easily pierce both with a fork. (But flip over your squash first! Sometimes the skin is too tough to pierce.)
- Let your vegetables cool slightly before scraping into a food processor or blender.
- Add the onion, coconut milk, Better than Bouillon, curry powder, turmeric, and salt.
- Blend until your heart's content. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.
- Serve immediately (it's usually warm enough!) or let cool to room temperature to store for lunches.
- I LOVE topping this with some roasted garlic salt and Unexpected Cheddar from Trader Joe's. But feta's a great substitute! Any salty cheese will do.
