Vegan Butternut Squash Soup

Here's a wonderful, naturally sweet soup you might want to make for your Thanksgiving menu. It's super easy and will be a guaranteed hit. I love butternut squash—it's delicious, naturally sweet and antioxidant rich.

Butternut is a winter squash, which is a good remediator for soil contamination. Remedi...what? As a non-food crop used in rotation farming, winter squash pulls contamination, like Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), out of the soil. Because of the fact that winter squash will naturally uptake contaminants, it makes sense to purchase organic squash as soils used for growing certified organic foods are far less likely to contain undesirable levels of contaminants like PAHs.

Baking the squash with skin on in water makes the process of getting to the pulp a bit easier and keeps the squash from drying out. Once cooked the squash is easily scooped out of the skin. It should yield about 3 cups.

Sauté the onion and apple in the coconut oil until softened and add garlic. Cook for a minute more and add the vegetable broth, squash, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 10 minutes.

Puree the soup in a food processor and return to sauce pan. Add coriander and nutmeg and serve hot. You can also finish this soup in the Vita Mix, heating it until piping hot.

Vegan Butternut Squash Soup

From Chris Pedersen

Yield 4 servings

Category Soup

Cuisine Healthy, Vegan

Ingredients

2 1/2 lb butternut squash

1 C water

2 tsp olive oil

3 Tbsp extra virgin coconut oil

1 small yellow onion, chopped

1 Granny Smith apple, cored and chopped

2 garlic cloves, crushed

2 C vegetable broth

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1/4 tsp ground coriander

1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut butternut squash in half lengthwise and remove all seeds and strings.

2. Rub the cut sides with olive oil. Pour water into a roasting pan and place squash cut side down into pan.

3. Bake squash until a knife pierces the skin easliy, about 40 - 45 minutes.

4. When squash is cool, scoop out the pulp. It should yield about 3 cups.

5. Over medium heat, melt coconut oil in large sauce pan. Add onion and apple. Saute until softened, about 10 minutes.

6. Add garlic and saute for additional minute.

7. Add vegetable broth, squash pulp, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for about 10 minutes.

8. Puree the soup in food processor (may have to be done in batches) and return to sauce pan.

9. Stir in coriander and nutmeg. Adjust seasoning and serve.

What's on your Thanksgiving menu?

Also linked at Slightly Indulgent Tuesday and Traditional Tuesdays.