Onions, garlic, winter squash, and silken tofu are all enveloped in the familiar flavor of potatoes, making this a wonderful vehicle for getting a lot of nourishing ingredients into soup eaters of all ages. Adapted from Vegan Soups and Hearty Stews for All Seasons. ^[1]

Serves: 6 to 8

• 1 medium acorn or golden acorn squash, about 1 pound (see note)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 to 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 4 medium-large potatoes (about 1 1/2 pounds), peeled and diced
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 vegetable bouillon cubes
• 1/2 teaspoon curry powder
• 1/2 teaspoon dried dill
• One 12.3-ounce package silken tofu, coarsely crumbled
• 2 cups rice milk, or as needed
• 1/4 cup soy or coconut creamer, optional
• Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
• Minced fresh parsley for garnish, optional

Place the squash in a microwave-safe container. Microwave for 6 to 8 minutes, until it can be easily pierced with a knife. Or, if you are using the oven for baking other foods, you can bake the squash in the oven. Cut it in half, wrap in foil, and bake at 375 or 400 degrees for 30 to 45 minutes, or until tender. Either way, this step can be done ahead of time. Let the squash cool until it can be easily handled. Split it in half, remove the seeds and fibers, and scoop the flesh away from the skin. Set aside until needed.

Heat the oil in a soup pot. Add the onion and sauté over medium heat until golden. Add the garlic, potatoes, bay leaves, bouillon cubes, curry powder, and dill. Add enough water to cover and bring to a simmer, then cover and simmer gently until the potatoes are tender, about 25 minutes.

Remove the bay leaves and add the squash, tofu, and rice milk. Transfer the solid ingredients to a food processor (in batches, if needed) and process until smoothly pureed, adding a little of the rice milk to each batch to loosen the consistency. Return puree to the pot and stir. Or, simply insert an immersion blender into the pot and process until all the solid ingredients are smoothly pureed.

Stir in enough rice milk to give the soup a slightly thick consistency. Return to the heat and simmer over low heat until heated through, about 5 minutes. Stir in the optional creamer. Season with salt and pepper and serve. Or, if time allows, let the soup stand off the heat for an hour or so, then heat through before serving.

Note: For a shortcut, use 1 pound frozen chopped butternut squash, completely thawed.

Variation: Use a large sweet potato in place of the squash. Simply peel and dice and add to the soup with the white potatoes.

• Warm yourself up with more fall harvest soup recipes. ^[2]
• Here are more recipes to enjoy a Vegetarian and Vegan Friendly Thanksgiving ^[3].
• Find more ways to make Special Occasions and Entertaining ^[4] easier and healthier.