Squash the Cold with Soup – Butternut Squash Bleecker December 3, 2014 Dinner, Featured, Healthy, Lunch, Recipes, Snacks Butternut Squash – Favorite Winter Recipe As the winter months approach and the weather changes dramatically, so do my cravings. Salads and smoothies never seem appropriate in the cold, and I instead yearn for something comforting and warm. Soup is one of my absolute favorite ways to satisfy my winter cravings. It allows you to combine many seasonal flavors into one big bowl of comfort. And this recipe for Butternut Squash will surely hit the spot this winter. What I love about this recipe is how simple it is. While there are tons of flavors involved, it surprisingly doesn’t require much work on your end. Plus, you get to use one of my favorite winter vegetables. Yes, you could simply go to the grocery store and pick up a squash, or even a pre-packed, already sliced and diced container, but I urge you to check out the farmer’s market. (Check out this site for GrowNYC to find the farmers market near you) I mean really, the colors, shapes and sizes of these squashes are out of control! Dare to be amazed! This butternut squash soup is savory and sweet at the same time. It is vegan, gluten free, and still delicious. The coconut milk is optional. But it will give it that subtle creaminess, without the use of heavy cream and dairy. This recipe can feed 4-5, but what I love about soup is that you can easily make it on a Sunday night and enjoy it throughout the week. Or even it freeze the leftovers to enjoy throughout the polar vortex. From my home to yours-squash this soup together and you won’t be sorry! Butternut Squash Soup Ingredients: 2 medium butternut squash – cut up into 8 cups of cubed butternut squash 2 medium carrots – chopped (about 2 cups) 1 medium onion – peeled and quartered (about 1 cup) 1 Granny Smith Apple 1 whole head of garlic peeled 8 cups low sodium vegetable broth 1 bunch cilantro – separate the roots in a bunch and finely chop the leaves 1/8 cup coconut milk (optional) 2 teaspoons of freshly minced ginger 1 tsp sea salt 1 tsp curry powder (optional, but great flavor) Butternut Squash Soup Directions: In a large pot, places chopped vegetables, vegetable broth, and cilantro together and bring to a boil. Once boiling, cover pot and bring down to a low to medium heat. Let cook for 15-20 minutes, until vegetables are soft and cooked throughout. Add coconut milk and ginger and continue cooking. Remove from heat and using an immersion blender, blend soup. If you do not have an immersion blender, pour soup into blender in batches, making sure to not overload blender. Cover and blend until thick and creamy. Pour back into pot and add salt and curry powder, stirring to mix. Serve warm with roasted curried cauliflower as pictured ☺ Let me know what you think! Any other favorite soup recipes you love making during the winter?
