Butternut Squash Soup
There are dozens of versions of butternut squash soup out there, but this is my husband version and in my opinion, it’s simply perfect!
Ingredients:
3 tbsp. olive oil, plus extra for greasy a baking sheet
2 tsp. minced garlic
3 leaks, cleaned and chopped
1 large apple, grated about 1 cup (I use Fuji)
2-inch fresh ginger, grated
2 tsp. cinnamon
8 cups chopped butternut squash (peeled, seeded and chopped into 1″ cubes)
4 cups low sodium chicken or vegetable broth
½ tsp. nutmeg
Sea salt & Freshly ground pepper
1 can light coconut milk
Fresh herbs, chopped for garnish (optional)
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- Using a knife, cut squash in half, lengthwise.
- Use a spoon to scoop out the seeds. Don’t worry if there are still some stringy bits of pulp in there.
- In a medium baking dish, place each squash-half cut side up. Add ¼ inch of water to the bottom of the baking dish so that the skins don’t burn and the squash doesn’t dry out.
- Add 1 tablespoon butter to the cavity of each half. Season with salt and pepper and a dash of cinnamon.
- Bake for 1 hour, until squash halves are very soft and tops are browned. If they still seem firm, give them another 15 minutes.
- Remove from oven and let cool.
- Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add garlic, onions, leaks, grated apple, ginger and sauté.
- Scoop out the whole squash and add it to the pot. Pour in broth and bring to a boil. Cover pot and reduce heat to a medium simmer for 10minutes.
- Add cinnamon, nutmeg and season with sea salt and fresh pepper. Remove pot from the heat. Use a hand-held immersion blender or standard blender, to puree the soup.
- Return the pot to the stove and add coconut milk. Stir and heat through gently; do not bring to a boil.
- Taste test and adjust seasonings.
- Serve with a sprinkle of fresh herbs.
- If you are ok with dairy you can add a tablespoon of plain Greek yogurt
Per Serving
Calories: 176kcal Carbs: 30gm Fat: 7gm Protein: 3gm Sodium: 141gm Sugar: 9gm