Squash Soup

Our marathon Christmas celebration is finally over. This morning, exhausted, I surveyed the damage. We had Christmas presents in little piles all over the house. The cookie tins had taken over the kitchen. Dishes needed to be done. And I'm not sure which pile was bigger; the dirty laundry pile, or the ironing pile. Our house is too tiny to be so disheveled.

So I did the only thing that could be done. I started on one end and worked my way to the other. Its like that old joke about how do you eat a whale? One bite at a time. So the ironing is done. Most of the presents are put away. The bed is made. The laundry is downstairs. The sideboard and dining room table are uncluttered and the coffee table is bare. I even got the grocery shopping done and I have a plan for the week. I'm nothing without a plan.

It feels good to get things back in a little bit of order. The house isn't there yet, but its definitely much calmer now that I'm not worried about tripping and breaking my neck in the middle of the night anymore. Of course that doesn't mean I won't get up in the middle of the night and run into a wall. I've done that a couple times. My eating habits over the last two weeks have been like my house. In total disarray. I knew there was a problem, but when I was grocery shopping I had no desire to go down the ice cream or cookie aisles, but parked my cart in front of produce and pretty much drooled. A big slobbery drooler. Cleanup in produce.

So dinner tonight is a happily vegetarian, low fat, high fiber, delicious bowl of yumminess. It's Pinto Bean, Tomato, and Butternut Squash Soup. Its just a little spicy and yet so filling and comforting. I'm lazy and feel no need to puree any of it. I also find it has more flavor if you can find celery with the leaves on it too. This is my go to soup for wanting to feel better and healthier in an instant.

Pinto Bean, Tomato, and Butternut Squash Soup

adapted from Bon Appetit

1 Tbsp olive oil

2 cups chopped onions

1 cup chopped celery

4 garlic cloves, minced

4 cups vegetable broth

2 (15 oz) cans pinto beans, drained

1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes

2 cups 1/2 inch pieces butternut squash (peeled and seeded)

1 tsp dried oregano

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

Heat oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add onions and celery; saute until onions are golden, about 7 minutes. Add garlic; stir 1 minute. Add broth, squash, beans, tomatoes, oregano and cayenne pepper; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes.