Harvest Butternut Squash Soup with Kale and Mushrooms

When I was a kid I used to love winter. I eagerly awaited the first snow, drank hot chocolate with wild abandon and delighted in celebrating Christmas and my birthday within the same month.

I never had to worry about shoveling the driveway, whether the heat worked or driving in wind blown snow. Those were all things adults did.

Then boom. I became an "adult" and suddenly winter stunk like four week old garbage. It became like a really horrible third date, where the charms of the first and second dates have worn off and you're just left with an annoying idiot who picks food out of his teeth with the corner of his credit card and will not stop talking about how many different types of cacti he has in his apartment.

Things really came to head between winter and I yesterday when I was sitting in my apartment wearing two pairs of pants, three pairs of socks, three shirts, a sweatshirt and two blankets and I was STILL FREEZING! Our heat was on, but it was so GD cold it made no difference.

Aside from moving to Hawaii to cure my winter blues, my preferred solution is to make a big pot of soup. Soup is not only fabulous for warming up your half frozen body, it is also a great way to use "strange" ingredients in your fridge.

You know the odds and ends vegetables, left over cubes of cheese, that half bag of quinoa. Just throw it all in some soup and call it a day. No recipe really required. Just taste often and add whatever sounds good.

For my soup I just happened to have a butternut squash, two packages of mushroom blends, kale and farro. I literally just combined all the ingredients with a little onion, salt and pepper and broth and a hearty soup was born.

I'm not sure if winter and I can be friends ever again, but I at least still have soup to keep things civil between us. How about you? What's your favorite food to eat on a cold day?

Harvest Butternut Squash Soup with Kale and Mushrooms 
HTIC Original

1 T. olive oil
1 onion, diced
1 small butternut squash, peeled and diced
1/2 bunch kale, chopped
2 packages of mushrooms (I used an artisan blend, but any type would do)
32 oz. low sodium vegetable broth
3/4 cup farro 
Salt and pepper

1. In a large pot heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and cook for 7-9 minutes or until onion is soft and translucent. Season with pinch of salt and pepper.
2. Add mushrooms and cook with onions, stirring often, until mushrooms are softened 5-7 minutes. Season with pinch of salt and pepper.
3. Add vegetable broth, kale, butternut squash and farro. Season with pinch of salt and pepper. Bring mixture to boil, then reduce heat to simmer.
4. Cover soup and stir occasionally. Cook until farro is cooked through, approxiamtely 45-60 minutes. Add water during process and season with salt and pepper if needed. 
5. Serve soup nice and hot with some saltine crackers. Try to stay warm and enjoy!
Serves 6-8 

What I'm Listening to Today-->M83 has a really great, chill CD. Highly recommend if you need some relaxing but powerful music

My Tears Are Becoming a Sea-->this song plays during the Rust and Bones trailer. I think it is intense and wonderfully beautiful.
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