Savory + Tasty Butternut Squash Soup
Butternut squash soup starts with roasted butternut squash, shallots, and garlic, simmered with vegetable stock, and pureed with nutrient dense great northern beans for a bit of extra protein, and fiber. Top with chopped crispy bacon for a simply delicious meal.
Fall is without a doubt my favorite season, and one I truly missed while living in Southern California for a few years. There are many reasons why I love fall, but what I love most is the opportunity to slow down and revel in more time spent at home. In the kitchen there are often soups simmering on the stove, a slow cooker overflowing with stew/chili, and tender roasts or delicious baked goods hidden in the oven. There is just something about fall foods that add a special touch to the comfort of the season.
With more time at home, I have been slowly becoming more adventurous in the kitchen, developing my own recipes like roasted vegetable soup and chicken pesto empanadas. These successful attempts led me to take the leap into butternut squash soup a couple of weeks ago. I love to work with seasonally abundant vegetables, and have future plans of creating my own vegetable garden which I mention in this post here.
Though butternut squash is available year round, you will most likely see tasty recipes geared toward the fall and winter seasons. For this recipe, butternut squash is roasted along with three to four cloves of garlic, and one shallot. Before placed in the oven, it is drizzled with extra virgin olive oil and a dash of salt. Just wait a few minutes for the most delicious aroma to fill your kitchen.
TIPS
- Add 1 tablespoon of brown sugar to butternut squash to sweeten before roasting
- Add ¼ cup heavy cream to soup on simmer with 5-10 minutes before serving
- I use 1-2 drops of cardamom essential oil when pureeing the great northern beans but, it will taste just as good if you add while simmering on the stove
TOOLS YOU MAY NEED:
- OXO Large Y Vegetable Prep Peeler (this automatic one looks like a time saver)
- Ninja Foodi, for the crispiest bacon
- Ninja Blender + Food Processor, Mega Kitchen System
- Vegetable Chopper
HOW TO MAKE BUTTERNUT SQUASH SOUP
Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
Peel and dice butternut squash, cloves of garlic and shallots. Place in single layer on baking sheet. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and a dash of coarse Himalayan salt. Put baking sheet in oven for 40 minutes (flip halfway through). At halfway point, add brown sugar (optional).
Drain and rinse great northern beans, and add to blender with 1 cup of vegetable stock, and 1 -2 drops of cardamom essential oil. Puree then add mixture to large soup pot, and set aside.
Puree butternut squash, shallots and garlic, make sure water is just about covering your butternut squash in the blender. Add puree to soup pot and simmer.
Once simmering, add heavy cream (optional) and cinnamon.
Top with crispy bacon and serve.
This soup is great to have for lunch with your favorite sandwich, as a starter to your favorite autumnal meal or simply by itself. If you give this recipe a try and love it, I would love it if you come back and let me know!
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Homemade Body Butter
Materials
- 1/2 cup each of the following
- shea butter
- cocoa butter
- extra virgin coconut oil
- extra virgin olive oil
- 25 drops essential oil optional
Instructions
- Add the first four ingredients to a glass bowl.
- Fill a large pot/saucepan with water and 1 - 2 inches of water and bring to a boil.
- Once boiling, add the glass bowl to the top of the saucepan and allow ingredients to melt. Be sure to stir the ingredients until combined.
- Once everything is melted, remove from the heat and let the mixture sit for 5-10 minutes.
- Add your essential oils of choice, and then place the glass bowl into the fridge, until it has set.
- Once the mixture has cooled and set, use a stand mixer on low (slowly increase the speed to reach desired consistency). This process can take 3-5 minutes.
- Store homemade body butter in a glass jar. The mixture will keep for up to 6 months. Be sure to store in a cool place.
