Creamy Vegan Winter Squash and White Bean Soup

Halve the squash and scoop out the seeds. Cut roughly 1-11/2 lbs of the squash. Reserve the rest. Peel the outside in polka dots leaving spots of green skin. Cut into a large dice. Set aside

In a 5qt Dutch oven heat the olive oil over a medium flame. When it ripples add the fennel seed. Let them sizzle a minute then add the garlic.

Cook until the garlic starts to color. Add the onion and the star anise. Sprinkle with salt. Cook 1 minute then lower the flame to medium. Cook stirring until the onion has softened and starting to color about 8 minutes.

Add the diced squash. Sprinkle with a little more salt Stir to mix. Cook another 5 minutes. By now the onion should be a little caramelized, and the squash starting to soften at the cut edges

Raise the flame to medium-high. Add the water or stock. Bring to a boil. Cover and lower the heat to a simmer. Cook until the squash is just fork tender, about 15 minutes.

Add the beans. Canned beans should be drained and rinsed first. If homemade add the broth you cooked them in. There should be enough liquid to just cover the beans and veggies, so add water or stock as needed, likely if you're using canned beans. Bring soup back to a boil. Lower the flame to medium-low. Cover. Cook 10-15 minutes more. Check for salt. Add lemon juice if using.

Purée the soup in batches in a high-speed blender. Return to the pot and heat through. Serve fizzled with olive oil. OR serve as is with a dollop of chermoula in each bowl.

- I like to cook my own beans, but canned work perfectly well, just be sure to drain and rinse them to remove the extra salt they're sitting in.
- Use a light, clear, low sodium vegan stock or broth.
- I always dilute boxed stocks with 50% water, and only use half the suggested amount of powdered stocks per quart. You can always add more later, but you can't take it away!