Brrrr, when did winter arrive? I woke up this morning to the wind howling and the desire to huddle in my bed for the rest of the day! Instead I decided to post the recipe for this amazing soup that I made a few weeks back considering that today is the perfect day for soup. I personally love making a big pot of soup because I can eat it all week or freeze some for another day plus it makes the house warm and cozy and who doesn't love that!?

The Butternut, Cabbage and Black Bean soup was inspired by Green Kitchen Stories One-Pot Butternut & Cabbage Stew (www.greenkitchenstories.com/one-pot-pumpkin-cabbage-stew/). Green Kitchen Stories is on of my favorite food blogs, the recipes are amazing and the images are equally as delicious. The purveyors of the site are dedicated to healthy vegetarian eating and constantly using food in innovative ways. Usually when cooking from their site I trust that whatever I will make will be fantastic, I modified their recipe based on ingredients that I had in the house and used sprouted beans and rice because I am just that alkaline girl. If you are curious about sprouting, check out my post on the process here.

When making soup I can not help but want a grilled cheese to go with it! Dairy is acidic forming in the body, however, I do consume small amounts of dairy in order to obtain B12 naturally as I do like my hair and want to keep it on my head! When working with this soup the last step is to throw in some apple for garnish, giving a sweetness to this earthy masterpiece so I thought what would be better than a Gouda, Apple, and Champagne Dill Mustard Grilled Sammy on Sprouted Ezekiel Bread of course!! At this point you might be asking what is the big deal about Ezekiel bread. Well besides it tasting amazing, being filling in the way that white bread isn't, and being made from sprouted grains it is also a source of complete protein, contains 18 amino acids, and is easier for the body to digest while increasing absorption of minerals. Yes, I know, I sound like a walking advertisement for the stuff (trust me, no money is flowing my way) but it is honestly the only bread that I eat. Food for Life is an amazing ethical company and although a loaf of bread is more expensive than a .99 white bread filled with artificial flavors and ingredients, I think it is worth supporting their effort to feed people real food. You will find the bread in the freezer section of most supermarkets and health food stores. Try it! You will love it!

So back to the soup......

Butternut Squash, Cabbage, and Black Bean Soup

Serves 6

1 Butternut Squash, peeled and diced

1/2 head of Green Cabbage, Sliced

1 tbs Olive Oil

1 Onion, Sliced

4 Cloves of Garlic, Chopped

1 cup Sprouted Black Beans

1 cup Sprouted Brown Rice or Quinoa

1 tsp dried Oregano

1 tsp dried Basil

2 cups of Vegetable Broth

2 cups of Water

Zest and Juice of 1 Lemon

Pink Himalayan Sea Salt to taste

Fresh Parsley, Chopped

1/2 of an Apple, Chopped

Slice the onion and chop the garlic. Peel and cube the butternut squash. Heat the oil in a large stockpot over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic and saute until the onions are slightly softened. Add the chopped squash and stir to coat in the oil. Add the dried basil, oregano, lemon zest and salt. Stir, cooking for a minute until the herbs are fragrant. Slice the cabbage and add to the pot with the beans and rice. Add the 2 cups of vegetable stock and 2 cups of water, add more water if needed to cover the vegetables. Bring to a boil. Cover and turn heat down to simmer. Simmer for 40 minutes or until the beans are softened but still firm. Add the juice from the lemon to the pot and stir.

To serve, divide into bowls, top with chopped apple and parsley. Enjoy and Happy Eating!

Meanwhile, prepare your delicious Grilled Sandwich.

Gouda, Apple, and Champagne Dill Mustard Grilled Sandwich

Serves 1

2 Slices Ezekiel Sprouted Bread

1 Slice Gouda

1/2 of an Apple Sliced

2 tsp Champagne Dill Mustard or DIjon Mustard

Ezekiel bread is frozen, so take the slices and place them in a frying pan until defrosted and browned on one side. Flip to brown the other side. Place sliced Gouda on on side, arranging sliced apples on top. On the other slice of bread spread a layer of champagne dill mustard or dijon and place on top of the apple slices. Continue to brown, flipping once to until desired darkness. Slice diagonally and enjoy!