Sunday dinner

Originally, I intended to make this: Roasted Butternut Squash Curry Soup.  After I was done roasting all the vegetables together, however, I couldn't bring myself to cover up all that flavor with curry powder and ginger.   They were just. too. delicious. Normally, I love to make a curried butternut squash creation in the fall, but this time I went original. Here are my changes, which resulted in what was ACTUALLY the best soup I've ever made.

cons:  It takes all. damn. day.  pros:  You're not actually in the kitchen all damn day.  The soup also tastes amazing and is totally worth the effort.

Step One:  Roast the vegetables.  I left out the yucky celery because I hate it.  Instead, I put an entire head of garlic in to roast with the vegetables.  I also left out the ginger and curry powder.

Step Two:  I did not blend the soup in any way.  Added the roasted veggies to the soup pot, then added the beans and Trader Joe's chicken broth packets because they make an amazing stock.  I have used the veggie packets in the past, and they do also taste amazing.  I peeled the head of garlic that was roasted with the vegetables and added the whole cloves to the soup.  I also added nutritional yeast because it makes a very delicious broth.  Oregano and rosemary were added in place of ginger and curry powder.

Step Three:  I actually did add some mustard seeds.  A friend gave me a whole jar of them from her supply a few weeks ago, and I wanted to give them a shot.  Fried them a bit in oil as the recipe states.  I didn't taste too much flavor from them, but I think I need more experience with using them to know for sure if I love or hate them.

I made a very easy breadstick to go with the soup as well.

Dessert was vanilla ice cream topped with this amazing stuff:

Savory just opened down the street from us.  It's like a Penzey's competitor.  This sugar is insanely good, but I feel like I could make some of it myself.  I think I'll give it a try sometime.