prep time: 10 minutes
cook time: 55 minutes
serves: 5-7
It's soup season. Quite possibly my favorite season. At my core, I'll probably always be a fall / winter gal. As the years have gone by, I've slowly started to appreciate summer more (used to dread it), but even as I've grown to enjoy it, fall comes around & I'm reminded why it will always be my favorite.
I admit, I love the long dark days. Call it weird. Waking up before sunrise feels like I've gotten a head start on the day, it gives me a sick dose of satisfaction. And a stormy day feels like the permission my body needs to stay home, read a book, & bake. It's as if the pressure to go frolic into the world & be productive has completely dissolved, ya know?
Anyway, this is my long-winded way of saying there's much to appreciate about the colder months. It's soup season after all & what could be better than a warm bowl of comfort when it's dark & chilly outside? Okay, maybe a lot of things but let's give soup its moment.
a word on butternut squash
Without a doubt, butternut is my go-to squash this time of year - it’s cozy, nourishing, & brings warmth to a dish. It's high in fiber, a friend to your digestion, & supports a strong, resilient gut, which of course, impacts our entire wellbeing! The fruit (yep, it's a fruit) is loaded with vitamins A, C, & E, which are some of our most potent antioxidants. In other words, these guys fight inflammation - if you're dealing with monthly PMS, swollen joints, or achiness that seems to persist, I'd encourage you to add plenty of foods rich in vitamins A, C, & E.
If you enjoy a creamy fall soup, this one is for you, friend. Before I go, please don't let the cook time on here scare you away. Yes, it's long but believe me, it's SO EASY. The majority of time is spent roasting the butternut squash, which is totally hands-free. After that, give it a good blitz in the blender then warm it on the stovetop & you're set.
soup considerations:
Temp: You'll see below that the cooking temperature is funky (390°F). This is because we're cooking with olive oil, so I try to be mindful of roasting veggies under 400°F. Remember, there are lots of different temps to cook at than just 350, 375, etc ;)
Broth: The recipe calls for 2 ½ cups which makes the soup very thick. I suggest starting with this amount & if you would like to thin the soup, add ½ cup of broth at a time until you reach your preferred consistency.
Coconut milk: Be sure to use full-fat & ideally from the can. Avoid coconut cream as the soup will turn out extra thick.
Garlic: I LOVE garlic, so I tend to add a lot. In this recipe, I used 4 large garlic cloves then added an additional 1 tsp of garlic powder. For whatever reason, I don't always feel garlic cloves are enough... if that sounds like too much, stick with the garlic cloves.
Ginger: For this one, I do recommend adding a lot. It gives the soup the subtle kick it needs. If you love ginger, feel free to add more than the recipe calls, the soup can handle it!
Toasted pumpkin seeds: If you're looking to elevate this soup, you'll want to get your hands on a bag of pumpkin seeds & toss them in the oven. Toasting these guys was a nice little touch to a creamy soup, it was missing some texture! These steps are included below.
equipment:
1 large sheet pan OR 2 medium
1 medium-large stockpot
Large blender or immersion blender
ingredients:
1 large butternut squash, peeled & chopped
2 ½ cups vegetable broth, low sodium
13.5 oz (400 ml) can full-fat coconut milk
1 green apple, medium
3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp maple syrup
4 cloves garlic, peeled
2-3 one-inch pieces fresh ginger, peeled
½ tsp red pepper flakes
1 tsp sea salt
cracked pepper to taste
optional:
1 tsp garlic powder, *see note
½ cup pumpkin seeds, toasted
steps:
Preheat oven to 390°F.
Peel the butternut squash to remove the skin. I used a large knife to speed this process up. Remove seeds, & chop the butternut into 1-inch thick cubes. Place on a very large sheet pan, or two separate medium-sized pans.
Peel & smash the garlic to activate allicin (press the flat side of your knife on top of the garlic then using your hand, press down until the garlic flattens out), then toss onto the pan, no need to mince.
Peel & chop the ginger, add to the pan.
Lather everything with 2 Tbsp olive oil, ¼ - ½ tsp sea salt, red pepper flakes, & cracked pepper. Place in the oven for about 45 minutes.
Once the time has passed & you can pierce the squash with a fork, remove from the oven & let cool for about 5 minutes. *NOTE - leave the oven on if you'd like to toast your pumpkin seeds, otherwise, turn off.
In a large blender, toss in everything from the pan, then all of the remaining ingredients to the blender (you should be left with about ½ tsp sea salt & 1 Tbsp olive oil). Blend everything together until smooth, this should only take a few minutes. *NOTE - keep in mind, if you taste test here, the flavor will not be an accurate representation as all of the other ingredients are cold at this point.
Once blended, transfer the soup to a large stockpot & heat over medium-low. Cover the soup (it will splatter if you don't), then let it warm for about 10 minutes. Mix occasionally.
PUMPKIN SEEDS: If you're toasting pumpkin seeds, this is a great time to do it. Toss the pumpkin seeds onto the same sheet pan & place in the oven for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, check to see if they're golden brown, if not, give them another 2 minutes. Keep a close eye on this, they will burn quickly!
Once the soup is warm to your preference, taste test. Add additional spices, sweetener, or sea salt if you feel it's needed. Serve & top with roasted pumpkin seeds, fresh cilantro, olive oil, lime juice, cracked pepper, & flaky sea salt.
I hope you enjoy! Leave a comment & let me know.
xo,
Kenn
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