We often overlook the bell pepper, which bestows an uncanny, slightly smoky sweetness to a dish.
Time is on the side of this soup; it mellows with a day or two in the refrigerator, and freezes well.
Seasoning is totally your call and it can have as much attitude as you’d like, as in these warm-tasting spices of the West Indies and a garlic-tomato sauté.
You can vary the amount of water in this recipe in accordance with whether you want a proper soup or a more stewlike consistency.
The soup is good fresh from the pot, but even better for a day or 3 or 4 in the fridge. Refrigerates up to 6 days and freezes for 4 months.
Barley is a great substitute for risotto, especially when you don't have a lot of time to spend stirring the pot.
When measuring flour, don't densely pack measuring cups. Instead, spoon flour from a master batch into a measuring cup, and use a straight edge to level.
Serve each half squash filled with a generous scoop of bean soup.
If beans aren't the world's most ubiquitous vegetable, they should be.
Ingredients