Butternut Squash Soup

Winter is here, and one of my favorite types of meals during the winter season is soup. Soups are easy to make, they store well in the freezer, and root vegetables are abundant this time of year.

Sprinkling some Za’atar on top of each serving adds a lovely complementary flavor to the other spices and makes it aesthetically appealing. That’s right, my food has to look good, too! Don’t have Za’atar and want your food to look awesome for your guests? Sprinkle some black pepper and sesame seeds on it. They’ll think you’re a wiz in the kitchen. It’s that simple.

The recipe doesn’t call for peeling the potatoes or apples. I ain’t got no time for that! I also don’t have a lot of spare time to bake squash, so I simply use a quality peeler to peel my butternut squash. It works magically, and you won’t risk cutting yourself using a knife or have to wait an hour to bake it in the oven. Enjoy the awesomeness of this soup!

Butternut Squash Soup

8 Servings

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 medium russet potatoes, chopped
• 1 large butternut squash, peeled and chopped (3 lbs.)
• 6 teaspoons Better Than Bouillon No Chicken Base (you can cut this in half to lower the sodium)
• 6 cups water
• ½ teaspoon ground ginger
• ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 2 apples (any cooking variety), cored and chopped
• 1 cup soymilk
• 1 teaspoon Sunwarrior Sea Salt
• ½ teaspoon ground white pepper, or to taste
• Pinch Za’atar seasoning for garnish (optional)
• Pinch roasted white sesame seeds for garnish (optional)
• Parsley for garnish (optional)

Directions:

Mix water and broth base in a bowl. Set aside. In a large pot, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent, about 8–10 minutes. Add potatoes, squash, “chicken” broth, ginger, and nutmeg. Mix well. Increase heat to high and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until potatoes and squash are tender, about 20 minutes. Add apples to pot for the last 10 minutes of cooking. Remove from heat; let mixture cool slightly for about 10 minutes.

Using a spoon, transfer soup to a food processor or blender one batch at a time. Process until smooth, stopping to pour the puréed soup into another large pot. Continue until all the soup has been puréed. Add soymilk, sea salt, and white pepper. Ladle into bowls. Garnish with Za’atar seasoning, parsley, and sesame seeds if desired.

Per serving:

Calories: 164

Total fat: 3.25g

Cholesterol: 0 mg

Sodium: 790 mg

Total Carbohydrate: 37g

Protein: 4.25g

Sugars: 10.1 g

Vitamin A: 363%

Calcium: 13%

Vitamin C: 72%

Iron: 9%