Recipes: Sprouted Mung Bean, Sage & Butternut Squash Soup

Posted by Claire Ragozzino

It’s officially soup season. Summer held on as long as it could here in Oklahoma (it was 90 degrees last weekend!), but this morning I turned the heater on for the first time since early spring.  It was one of those mornings where you just want to linger in bed as long as you can because it’s far too cozy under the covers and you know that cold feet on wood floor awaits you.I’ve been given the task by my Ayurvedic practitioner to avoid cold, raw foods until the spring. That’s right, no more smoothies or cold salads.  With so much travel these past few months, my vata needs some serious grounding work to keep my head on straight and my body strong. As we move into chillier fall days, warm, oily and soupy are the qualities of foods needed to balance the energy that fall creates.  This sprouted mung bean, sage and butternut squash soup is my favorite simple soup go-to. It’s packed with easy-to-digest protein and sweet hearty squash.  I always keep a bag of TrūRoots sprouted mung beans on hand to make this soup in less than 30 minutes.  You can certainly soak and sprout your own mung beans for this recipe, but in a bind I love the TrūRoots variety of sprouted/germinated legumes and grains. Do note, if you have a vata imbalance, add a little extra olive oil or ghee to offset the drying effects that mung beans can have on the body. Sprouted green lentils are also another substation that can be made if you have a sensitivity to mung beans.

SPROUTED MUNG BEAN, SAGE & BUTTERNUT SQUASH SOUP

2 cups butternut squash, cubed
½ small yellow onion, roughly chopped 
2 cups sprouted mung beans
2 tbsp finely chopped fresh sage
¼ cup olive oil
5-6 cups water
Himalayan pink salt, to taste
Cracked black pepper, to taste

In a medium pot, add the olive oil, onion and sprinkle of salt. Cook on low heat for 10-12 minutes until slightly caramelized. Stir in the butternut squash and cook for another 2-3 minutes. Add the mung beans, sage, black pepper and the water. Bring to a boil and reduce to medium low heat with lid slightly ajar. Cook for 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Taste to season with salt & pepper. Serve hot. Garnish with fresh chopped parsley, if desired.

Yield: 4 servings