Creamy Butternut Squash Soup

The weather here in Toronto has been pretty spectacular as we've entered into the Autumn season.  The air is crisp and cool and it's still warm enough to enjoy the outdoors. We are loving it!

I don't know about you, but as soon as the weather begins to cool, I begin to crave hearty soups and stews.  I love eating seasonally and I especially love all the produce available this time of year.  Butternut squash especially.  That's what led me to share my tried and true butternut squash soup recipe with you. Possibly in time for you to make it at Thanksgiving dinner.  This soup has to be one of my favorites. It's perfect for this time of year because it's in season! It's also a very grounding dish and helps support our digestion, warms and nourishes the body and simply feels good.

I love butternut squash, as I mentioned, but all winter squash provides similar health benefits. Here's a summary of the benefits:

. Low glycemic: Winter squash is mainly composed of carbohydrates (around 95%).  However, despite its high-carb nature, winter squash has recently been shown to help steady the release of sugar inside of our digestive tract after being eaten and to lessen our overall glycemic response to meals.

. High concentration of carotenoids: give squash their vivid orange color, which can be converted into active forms of vitamin A.

. Good source of pectin: which is a prebiotic fibre beneficial for our 'good' bacteria.  Pectin in winter squash also helps explain its low GI value and the ability of winter squash to help regulate release of sugar into our digestive tract following a meal. Pectin intake has been associated with greater feelings of satiety.

. Carotenoids actually increase over time with storage. Based on recent studies, you can feel good about storing winter squash over a fairly extended period of time. In several studies, researchers have observed actual increases in carotenoid content in the fleshy portion of winter squash following long-term storage of about 6 months.

I hope you enjoy this as much as we do!!

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Creamy Butternut Squash Soup

Yield: 6-8 people

Author: Lara

Prep time: 20 MinCook time: 1 HourTotal time: 1 H & 20 M

This is a quick and easy soup with flavors that impress all.

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp virgin unrefined coconut oil or ghee
• 1 medium-large butternut squash (2-3 lb squash)
• 2 medium-sized carrots cut into 3 - 4 pieces
• 2 medium onions cut into 4-6 pieces (2 cups)
• 3 cloves of garlic peeled
• 1 sweet potato with the skin on cut into 2-inch cubes (approx. 2 cups)
• 2 large apples cut into 2-inch cubes (approx 1 cup)
• 1 can (400ml) of full-fat coconut milk (organic BPA free can be preferred)
• 3 tbsp coconut sugar or maple syrup (optional)
• 8 cups of boiling water
• 1/2 bunch of fresh parsley
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• Salt and black pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375 setting
2. Place butternut squash on a baking sheet and roast until it is cooked through. When it can be easily pierced with a fork. I like to roast it whole and it takes approximately 45 minutes. You can also slice it in half lengthwise and place it facedown on a baking sheet and roast, following the remaining instructions.
3. While the squash is roasting, melt the coconut oil or ghee in a deep pot over medium/high heat. Once melted, add garlic and onion and saute until the onion is translucent, but not browned. Next, add all the other veggies and apples outside of the parsley, toss until incorporated in the oil, cover and reduce the heat to low/medium. Allow cooking for approximately 30 minutes until the carrots are tender and can be easily pierced with a fork.
4. Once the squash is cooked through, remove from oven and clean out the seeds and remove the skin. Place in a blender and add the remaining cooked vegetables, coconut milk, water, salt, pepper. Blend and place back in the pot. If you don't find it sweet enough, add the maple syrup or coconut sugar, to your liking. Add chopped parsley and thyme and allow to simmer on low for 15 minutes. Enjoy immediately or serve the following day.

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