Butternut ‘n’ Beans for Halloween

Happy Halloween!In honor of the day, I’ve prepared an orange and black meal for you.Not only is this Chipotle Butternut & Black Bean “Bisque” festive…it tastes good, too!It also fits with the mood of the day, in that it involves a semblance of murder…

…and gory entrails.

Care to celebrate a Vegan Halloween?

First, you’ll need to roast a big ol’ butternut squash, sprayed with cooking spray and sprinkled with salt, pepper, a little cumin, and a dash of cinnamon. I choose just to bake the butter-‘butts’ for the soup, and chop up the necks for snacking.

You want Halloween candy? I got nature’s candy right here.

I baked these up at 375 degrees for 45 minutes (for the chunks) and 60 minutes (for the “butts”).

How do you know when they are done?
You’ll be able to scrape out the innards and mash ‘em up.

Make sure you have enough baked squash to get 2 1/2-3 cups of mashed butternut into your pot.

Add one whole chipotle in adobo, 2-3 cloves minced garlic, and a dash of salt and pepper, to taste.
Add 2 cups of your favorite vegetable broth–I used 2 cups of water plus Better Than Boullion Vegetable Base–and mash the squash into it. Bring the whole thing up to a simmer.
If you’re like me, you’ll conveniently remember that you own an immersion blender than you never use, and will use this to puree the soup directly in the pot.
If you don’t remember that you have one–or if you just plain don’t have one–you can puree everything in a blender or food processor prior to heating.
One the “bisque”* is smooth and simmering, you can stir in a little unsweetened almond milk if you’d like to add a bit of nuttiness and cool off the heat of the chipotle a bit.
*Only called this because it’s slightly thicker than a soup, but not chunky like a stew. Also, the alliteration was important to me.
To the orange, add 2 cups (or a little less or a little more) cooked black beans. Allow that all to heat through, and, well you’re pretty much ready to eat.Might I suggest continuing the theme of the day by serving the soup on some evil forbidden black rice?*
*Which, if you are like me, you purchased way back in September, in anticipation for using on this day.

No tricks here…this is a treat.*

*And that was cheesy.^
^Not that I am eating cheese. Unless its fake vegan cheese, of course.

Chipotle Butternut & Black Bean “Bisque”

2 1/2 cups mashed, roasted butternut squash
2 cups vegetable broth (or 2 cups water + 1 tsp. Better Than Boullion Vegetable Base)
1 chipotle in adobo
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups cooked black beans
salt + pepper
2 Tbsp. unsweetened almond milk (optional)

1. Combine butternut squash, chipotle, garlic, and vegetable broth in a saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat.
2. Using an immersion blender, blend squash mixture until smooth.
3. Stir in black beans. Simmer 5 minutes or until beans are heated through.
4. Serve over black forbidden rice!

Note: If you do not have an immersion blender, puree squash, chipotle, garlic, and vegetable broth in a food processor or blender prior to heating.