Happy Valentine’s Day to all! Butternut squash soup is the perfect dish to say I love you, your heart and your health! Packed with vitamins A and C, this dish is full of fiber and has those important “um’s”; potassium, magnesium, and calcium. Not to mention that it has lutein and zeaxanthin, two vitamins that are great for your eyes. Warning mom joke coming at you…What did the big bad wolf say when little red riding hood brought him a bowl of squash soup? “Ahhhh the better to see you with!”
Butternut Squash – Steaming is the quick and easy way to prepare the squash but feel free to roast the cut squash at 425°F until tender.
Olive oil – If you would like to make it oil free then sauté your onions in a little bit of water.
Vegetable Broth – Use a low sodium or no salt added broth for those of you who are keeping it heart healthy.
Green Apple – Green is the apple of choice because it has less sugar, and has more vitamins K and A; also more fiber, protein, potassium, iron than the other varieties.
All spice – The combination of spices in 'all spice' helps bring a warmth to the soup.
Thyme – Fresh or dried they both work well. Don’t forget to take out the stem before you serve if you are using fresh. If you are using dry ¼ teaspoon is all you need.
Maple syrup – This adds another layer to the taste of the soup and brings out the sweetness of the squash.
Cashew cream – Adding a bit of ‘good fats’ to your soup helps your body absorb some of those aforementioned vitamins, but if you are completely fat free you can omit this ingredient.
Butternut Squash Soup
Ingredients
6 cups butternut squash, from about 2 medium-large butternut squash
2 tbsp olive oil
1 cup onion
4 cups low sodium vegetable broth
1 medium green apple
¼ tsp all spice
1 sprig fresh thyme
2 tbsp real maple syrup
½ cup raw cashews
¾ cup cold water
Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
1. Peel and cut squash into 2 inch cubes. Steam until tender and set aside.
2. Finely chop onion, then separately, peel, remove core and chop apple into small pieces.
3. In a large soup pot, warm olive oil over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook, stirring, until onion has softened and is translucent, but not browned. Stir in apple and cook for a minute.
4. Add steamed squash and all spice and cook a minute longer.
5. Pour vegetable broth and maple syrup; stir to combine well.
6. Add the fresh thyme sprig. Bring to a light boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally, then reduce heat to medium-low and allow soup to gently simmer, covered, for 20-30 minutes to blend the flavours.
7. Meanwhile soak cashews in boiling water for 10 minutes then drain. Add cold water and cashews to high speed blender and blend until completely smooth and creamy like a heavy cream. Set aside.
8. Remove sprig of thyme and discard. Using an immersion blender, puree the soup until smooth. Alternatively, the soup can be place in a blender and blended until smooth.
9. Reduce heat to low and add cashew cream to the pureed soup saving ¼ of it for garnishing. Stir well to combine and allow to cook over low heat a few minutes to warm through.
10. Add salt if needed and some black pepper to taste.
11. Serve warm garnished with a little cashew cream and fresh thyme leaves.
Enjoy!
**Tips**
- Store soup in the fridge for 2-4 days.
- Freeze for up to 3 months
- When reheating you may need to add a little extra vegetable broth to thin it out.
Comentários