Summer Squash and Bok Choy Soup

Oh Tuesday. You see, I don't love cooking on Tuesdays because it's the day before our weekly co-op delivery, which means the only produce left in the fridge are the things I didn't want to cook throughout the week. What was left over for the Tuesday Kitchen Throwdown this week? 3 sad summer squash and 3 baby bok choy. Somehow though, I ended up making the most dreamy soup, which was so incredibly delicious it was declared at dinner a 'prize winning soup'! Whoop Whoop. Jules 1, Terribly Tuesday 0!

2 yellow squash (mine were on the smaller size), cut into thin rounds
1 medium zucchini, cut into thin rounds
3 baby bok choy
1 yellow onion, diced
4 garlic cloves, crushed
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
3 cups vegetable broth (I used 3 cups water and 3 teaspoons Better Than Bouillon- I used the veggie base, but the no chicken and no beef come highly recommended from a friend, it's on my list to buy!)
1/3 cup fresh basil leaves (I used mainly Thai basil since I had an abundance of it in the garden)
3 tablespoons raw cashews
1 tablespoon nutritional yeast (found at any health food store, including bulk bins at Whole Foods)
Olive oil
Juice of half a lime
Red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

Prepare the bok choy. If you're not fimilar with this yummy veggie than you probably wouldn't realize how sandy they are. Make sure you take off each leaf and really give them a good wash. Once all bok choy is well washed cut the hearts and ribs (the white parts) into two inch pieces and place them in a bowl. Set the leafy green tops aside for now, you'll be coming back to these later.

In a large stock pot over medium heat add two tablespoons of olive oil, once hot add the diced onions and saute until slightly browned. Add in the crushed garlic and saute another minute. Add in the squash, zucchini, and bok choy ribs and hearts to the stock pot, sauteing for about five minutes. Add in the broth, salt, and pepper and bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and pop a lid on the stock pot. Cook until the squash is soft and the bok choy hearts are tender, roughly 15-20 minutes. Take off the heat and add the raw cashews, basil leaves, and nutritional yeast, then carefully transfer the soup mixture into a blender in batches, blend until the consistency is smooth. Repeat until all soup is blended. Return to stock pot and put back on the stove on low heat so it remains warm while you finish up with the bok choy greens.

Chiffonade the bok choy greens. In a small saute pan over medium heat add a tablespoon of olive oil, once hot throw in the greens, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, and a pinch of red pepper flakes- saute them down until all the water is out and they start sticking to the pan a bit. Add the juice of half a lime and remove from heat. Ladle the soup into bowls and top each bowl with a nice spoonful of the greens, a drizzle of good quality olive oil (I got hooked on Braggs- thanks Anna!), and serve immediately.

Recipe inspired by Fat Free Vegan, serves 6