Vegan Japanese Winter Squash and Leek Soup

Ingredients

• (2 pound) Japanese winter squash (kabocha), halved and seeded
• tablespoon scan ola oil, or more as needed
• large sweet onion, chopped
• large leeks - white part cut horizontally and green parts cut lengthwise
• cup swater, or more as needed
• small russet potatoes, chopped
• large carrots, cut into rounds
• cup svegetable stock, or more if needed
• pinch garlic salt, or more to taste
• ground black pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Arrange squash, cut side up, on a baking sheet.
2. Bake in the preheated oven until squash is tender, 30 to 40 minutes; cool slightly. Remove skin from squash and chop the flesh.
3. Heat canola oil in a large pot over medium heat; cook and stir onion and white parts of leek until golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes.
4. Mix water, green parts of leeks, potatoes, baked squash, and carrots to onion mixture; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover pot, and simmer, stirring every 10 minutes and adding more water as needed, until vegetables are tender, about 1 hour.
5. Pour vegetable stock into vegetable mixture; season with garlic salt and pepper. Raise temperature to medium and cook until boiling, 15 to 20 minutes.

Tips

Be forewarned, leeks are great at holding grit, as you'll discover when you slice it the long way! Vegan margarine can be used in place of the oil if desired. You can also puncture the squash a few times and put in the microwave on the 'baked potato' setting. Then slice it open in two, scrape out the seeds and fibers, and do it again until the flesh is soft.