Butternut Squash and Wakame Miso Soup

The farmers market has been full of fresh local squash and I wanted to use them in a miso soup. I have cooked with butternut squash before so I decided to start with that one. Normally one would simmer squash in the dashi until it was tender but I really like the flavour that oven roasting a butternut squash adds. I have miso soup for breakfast so I do not have much time to spend on making breakfast before I dash off to work. I had to do a little experimentation until I got it just right. As soon as I woke up I cut off a slice of butternut squash and placed it in the oven. That gave me about 30 to 40 minutes until I needed to eat breakfast so that I could leave for work on time. At first I cut the slices 1/2 inch thick and although the squash was tender enough to eat it did not have the most flavour. By the end of the week I was cutting two 1/4 inch thick slices and they came out super tender and full of flavour. They were so tender that you could easily mash them with a fork with little or no effort. Just they way I like my oven roasted butternut squash! The slightly sweet melt in your mouth squash went really well with the saltiness of the miso to make a really tasty soup. Other than the possibly high salt content of the miso this soup is pretty healthy as well.