Heavenly soup

One of my favourite things about winter is that home-made hot soup is just so delicious. For me, it warms my heart and soul as well as my body, especially if it tastes as good as this one!!! This recipe is from "Veganomigon-the ultimate vegan cookbook", but don't let that title scare you away if you are an omnivore. As others have said and I agree, what is most important is that you enjoy your food...for me, I suppose that it is equally important that it be as healthy as possible, but for sure taste is number one!!

I prepared the veggies before heating the stock-pot and in general find that it's a good idea. The authors of the cookbook suggest that the easiest way to peel an acorn squash is to first cut it in half, then into pieces (I cut along the indented lines) and then peel the smaller strips...and it worked beautifully.

2 Tbsp peanut oil
1 large onion, cut into 1/4 inch slices
1 red bell pepper, cut into 1/4 inch slices
2 tsp minced ginger
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp Chinese five-spice powder
2 acorn squashes, seeded, peeled, cut into 1/4 inch chunks
2 firm Bartlett pears, peeled, seeded, sliced not too thin (I didn't peel)
4 cups vegetable stock
1 can or 1.5 cups home-cooked adzuki beans, drained and rinsed (yum!)
1 Tbsp fresh lime juice

Mushrooms: 4 oz (1.5 cups) fresh shitakes (I used portabello and they were yum and less $)
2 tsp peanut oil
1/2 tsp toasted sesame oil
1 Tbsp soy sauce

Saute onions and pepper until just starting to brown (about 10 min) on med heat. Add ginger, garlic, saute 1 more minute. (the aroma is exqusite!) Stir often and add salt, five-spice, squash, pear, cook for another minute and then add stock. Cover and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to simmer about 20 minutes, until squash is tender. Puree about 1/2 the soup, put it all back into the pot with the beans and lime juice.
Meanwhile, for about the last 5-10 minutes of the simmering, saute the mushrooms in a frying pan in the oils until soft, about 7 minutes and add the soya sauce.

Ladel the soup into bowls, add the mushrooms on top and take a trip to heaven with these flavours...