Based on the lack of recipes recently, it may come as no surprise that I feel as though I’ve been in a bit of a creative rut. When I set out to start sharing my recipes in the summer of 2020, the world looked much different than it does now—hell, even I looked much different than I do now. We were in the midst of a pandemic of proportions unseen in nearly a century. I was stuck at home with nothing to do. Hobbies were left behind with the lockdown, leaving me with a plethora of free time and energy. I originally started with the goal of posting a recipe a week—and I stuck to it for a long time.

Over the past few years, life has quickly accelerated back to the normal social hustle and bustle. New hobbies have emerged, new friendships have blossomed, and my free time has dried up like an oasis in a drought. However, one thing remains unwavering: a love for cooking and a desire to share those recipes with others. The lack of recipes and creativity in general became a bit of a vicious cycle. I wanted to write new recipes, stressed that it had been so long since I had published one, yet felt uninspired by any of my ideas.

Yet sometimes,  when you start to relax, creativity smacks you right in the face. When you have no expectations, you allow your mind to explore naturally, and the ideas flow in. That’s exactly how this soup came to life. On a night when we had nearly nothing left in the fridge, I started to cook up a desperation meal—the type of meal you make when you desperately need to go to the grocery store but can’t bring yourself to go. I had carrots, butternut squash, and a dream.

This soup turned out to be a creamy, umami-fueled delight. It also features cannellini beans, which not only bring protein to the soup but also make it quite filling as a meal. At the end of cooking, the soup is blended and a miso slurry is stirred in, which complements the sweet nuttiness of the vegetables and pulls the whole dish together. I hope this recipe can warm up your home on a cold winter evening soon.

Note: I use an Instant Pot to make this recipe for convenience, but I’ve included instructions for a conventional stovetop method as well.

Active time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 40 minutes

Ingredients:

• 2 yellow onions, diced
• 5 garlic cloves, halved
• 10–15 fresh sage leaves
• 1 lb carrots, peeled and roughly chopped
• 1 butternut squash, peeled and diced
• 2 (15 oz) cans cannellini beans, drained
• 1 can full-fat coconut milk
• 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
• 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
• 1 tbsp light miso
• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• Salt and black pepper
• Olive oil
• Pepitas, for topping

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Directions (Instant Pot):

1. Turn the Instant Pot to the Sauté setting. When the display reads “hot,” add a dash of olive oil and sauté the onion, garlic, and sage leaves. Sauté until the onion begins to brown and caramelize, about 7–9 minutes.
2. Add the carrots, squash, cannellini beans, coconut milk, Dijon mustard, nutritional yeast, 1 tsp salt, and plenty of freshly cracked black pepper. Stir to combine.
3. Add 4–6 cups of water, ensuring the water level is above the vegetables but below the Instant Pot’s maximum fill line. Pressure cook on high for 4 minutes. Let the Instant Pot naturally release pressure for 10 minutes before opening the vent.
4. While the soup cooks, prepare the miso slurry. Add the miso to a small bowl, pour a bit of boiling water over the top, and whisk vigorously with a fork until smooth.
5. Once the soup is finished, stir in the miso slurry and apple cider vinegar. Use an immersion blender or traditional blender to blend the soup until smooth. Adjust salt levels to taste.
6. Top with pepitas and enjoy hot!

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Directions (Conventional Stove Top):

1. Heat a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Once hot, add a dash of olive oil and sauté the onion, garlic, and sage leaves. Sauté until the onion begins to brown and caramelize, about 7–9 minutes.
2. Add the carrots, squash, cannellini beans, coconut milk, Dijon mustard, nutritional yeast, 1 tsp salt, and plenty of freshly cracked black pepper. Stir to combine.
3. Add about 6 cups of water, ensuring the water level is above the vegetables. Turn the heat to high and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for about 30 minutes, or until the squash and carrots are soft and easily pierced with a fork.
4. While the soup cooks, prepare the miso slurry. Add the miso to a small bowl, pour a bit of boiling water over the top, and whisk vigorously with a fork until smooth.
5. Once the soup is finished, stir in the miso slurry and apple cider vinegar. Use an immersion blender or traditional blender to blend the soup until smooth. Adjust salt levels to taste.
6. Top with pepitas and enjoy hot!