It's the holiday season, and there's plenty of #chocolate being gifted. Why not cook with it?
I had no idea what to expect with this one, especially since I handed responsibilty to my husband to cook it and he has a way of improving every recipe. When you look at the final product, it looks a little bit like cocoa puffs. When you taste it, you kinda get that cocoa puff milk sensation, but elevated and spicy. Impossible to explain with my limited vocabulary. Highly recommend giving it a go, especially if you like chocolate of course.
Source: Leelalicious | Serves: 2 | Time: 1 hr
Changes: halved the soup recipe and adjusted the techniques a bit; skipped cilantro
Ingredients
1 lb #ButternutSquash, cubed
1 tbsp olive oil divided
2 pibs of a Lindt 85% chocolate bar, finely chopped
1 garlic clove
1 small bay leaf
1 tbsp maple syrup
Dash each of cinnamon, ground star anise, allspice, and cayenne
1/2 onion chopped
S&P, to taste
1 1/2 cup vegetable broth (homemade to reduce sodium)
2 tbsp coconut milk (the drinking kind, not the cans)
Chili Cocoa Roasted Chickpeas (I didn't halve this part. I put aside the second half for a snack the next day)
1 15 oz can #chickpeas
1 tbsp olive oil
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp Hersey's cocoa powder
Dash of cayenne
Instructions
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Add the butternut squash cubes to a large bowl. Then add the1/4 tbsp of oil, chocolate, garlic, bay lead, maple syrup, and spices and mix well. Roast the squash until soft and tender, about 40-50 minutes.
In the meantime you can prepare the Chili Cocoa Roasted Chickpeas: Rinse the canned chickpeas and dry them as much as you can between clean kitchen towels (or paper towel). Only remove the skins that come lose in the process.
Toss the dried chickpeas with olive oil and salt, spread them on a small baking tray and roast for 20-30 minutes at 400 degrees F (you can roast them simultaneously with the squash). Shake the tray every 10 minutes to rotate the chickpeas. Once they have finished roasting* sprinkle with cocoa + chili and toss to coat. Set aside.
Remove the roasted squash from the oven and let it cool enough until comfortable to handle.
Heat remaining olive oil in a large pot and cook the chopped onion until soft and translucent. Turn off the heat and add the squash. Then add the broth and use an immersion blender to blend until creamy and smooth. Return the pot to heat to bring to desired temperature.
You can add some of the coconut milk while heating the soup, or drizzle it on top once filled into bowls for serving. Serve topped with cilantro and cocoa roasted chickpeas. Enjoy!