Chunky Roasted Squash & Potato Soup

& the perils of an overachiever

Hi! Welcome to “good mood food” from Kale Me Maybe’s Carina Wolff. If you’ve made it here and aren’t yet a subscriber, come join! You can expect recipes, musings, and faves in your inbox every Wednesday! Paid subscribers get even more on Fridays — right now I’m doing a 30-minute budget meal series! Learn more about the paid tier of my newsletter here. You can also try a week for free!

CATCH UP!

One of my most recent challenges (that I absolutely knew was coming) is the desire to do it all and facing the reality that I simply cannot.

I’ve been taking on more work the past month, and although that does feel good, I also find myself wrangling with the fact that it is quite impossible to have the cleanest house, get enough sleep, eat nutritiously, move my body, spend time with my baby, connect with my husband and loved ones, and be creative all in the same day. I know this struggle is not a unique one, whether you’re a parent or not. We all get pulled in a million directions — bills to pay, relationships to take care of, mental health to nurture.

Grant and I always joke about how I was an “extra credit student’ in school, always doing more than I had to, and this ethos has followed me throughout my life. It’s hard for me to let certain things go, sometimes to my detriment. I want to do it all, and then some.

Because of this, I am often resistant to help. If I’m ever asking for a favor, you know I’m desperate. I’m lucky to have a partner where “acts of service” is their love language, but even when Grant steps in, I am hard on myself for not doing enough.

As important as it is for me to work on this mentally, I try to look at it with a positive spin: there are so many facets of life that I enjoy, and I don’t want to miss out on any of them! I love having a wide breadth of experiences, from traveling, to creative endeavors, to deep and meaningful relationships. We all just want to live the healthiest and happiest lives possible, which is why we fall into the trap of wanting to do it all.

I’m not mad at myself for shooting for the stars and always wanting to do the extra work. It can be satisfying on a deep, existential level. But now, with another human in the mix, it’s an added layer, because it affects someone else outside of me. Therefore, I have no choice but to be more mindful. It’s not the new year yet, but this is going to be my focus of 2026: discovering where it feels good to let go.

THINGS I’M LOVING!

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RECIPE!

I never loved soup until I started cooking the type of soup recipes that I actually want to eat. For me, I need lots of chunky ingredients and textures, an interesting broth, and the feeling of being satiated when I’m done eating. Once I started making soup this way, I became a convert.

This soup is made with roasted butternut squash and potatoes, sauteed leeks and garlic, white beans for protein, and a broth that’s lightly infused with miso and rosemary for extra flavor.

For the broth, I actually ended up doing 1/2 chicken bone broth and 1/2 vegetable broth. I intended to do fully bone broth, but I didn’t have enough, so half and half it was! I liked it this way — I got extra protein from the bone broth, and the vegetable broth added a richer flavor.

If you do go full bone broth, definitely season your soup with salt and pepper a little heavier. If you go full vegetable broth, it’ll have a bit more flavor.

Chunky Roasted Squash & Potato Soup

Ingredients (serves 4)

• 4 cups peeled & cubed butternut squash

• 4 cups chopped gold potatoes

• 1/4 cup + 2 tbsp olive oil, divided

• 4 cloves garlic, chopped

• A few sprigs of rosemary

• 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper

• 1 leek, dark green leaves removed and cut into half moons

• 8 cups broth (see note above, can use bone broth, vegetable broth, or a combo of both)

• 2 tbsp white miso paste

• 2 (15 oz) cans white beans, drained

• 1/4 cup chopped parsley

• Grated Parmesan, to top

1. Preheat oven to 400 F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper, and add the butternut squash and potatoes. Toss in 2 tbsp olive oil, and season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Bake for 30-40 minutes, flipping halfway through, until vegetables are soft but crisp around the edges.

2. While vegetables are roasting, heat up remaining 1/4 cup olive oil in a large pot on medium-low heat. Add the garlic, rosemary sprigs, and crushed red pepper, and cook for a minute or two until the garlic is fragrant.

3. Add the leeks, and cook for 5-6 minutes until softened. Add your broth and miso paste, mix together, and bring to a low boil. Reduce to a simmer, and let cook for 10 minutes.

4. Remove the rosemary sprigs with tongs, and then add in your roasted squash and potatoes, along with the parsley. Mix together, and taste. Season with more salt and pepper, if desired. Serve warm topped with grated Parmesan.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT!

Last week, paid subscribers received a recipe for Quick Tomato-y Brothy Beans with Cheddar Croutons, another recipe for my 30-minute budget meal series! This one is SO nice for when the weather gets cold, and it’s a great way to enjoy brothy beans on a whim!

As a reminder, anytime you become a paid subscriber, you get access to ALL of the past recipes in the archive, plus one exclusive recipe a week. New subscribers also get a free 7-day trial!