Golden Pumpkin Squash Soup
Butternut squash is a favorite fall flavor of mine. This soup is incredibly satisfying and not overly sweet. I love the hint of turmeric and roasting the squash seeds to top my bowl. It is straightforward to make (don’t be discouraged by the appearance of steps), but an immersion blender does come in handy!
THE INGREDIENTS:
For 4-6 Servings
• 1 butternut squash, peeled and chopped (about 2.5 lbs)
• 1 tsp. dried thyme
• 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• ½ tsp. ground cumin
• 1 tsp. smoked paprika
• 1 tsp. turmeric
• A few dashes cayenne pepper
• 6 sage leaves, ripped
• 4 cups veggie stock
• 3 tbsp. coconut aminos
• 1 can of pumpkin (15oz.)
• 1 cup/8 oz. full fat canned coconut milk
• Unsweetened coconut flakes, to garnish
• Salt
• Black pepper
• Extra virgin olive oil
THE RECIPE:
1. Heat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Peel 1 butternut squash and chop into 1” cubes. Scoop out the seeds and set aside in a bowl for later.
3. In a bowl with the squash, add 2- 3 tbsp olive oil, 1 tsp. dried thyme, and a few generous cracks of black pepper & salt. Mix to coat squash.
4. Roast squash for 30-40 min on 2 or 3 baking sheets, until cubes are fork tender.
5. Chop yellow onion and 3 cloves garlic.
6. When squash is near finished, heat 3 tbl of olive oil in a large pot on medium/low heat. Sauté the onion and garlic until soft.
7. Add 1/2 tsp. cumin, 1 tsp. smoked paprika, 1 tsp. turmeric, a few dashes cayenne, 1 tsp. salt and ½ tsp. pepper, and 6 sage leaves ripped. Cook until onions are soft and slightly brown.
8. Add 4 cups of veggie stock and 3 tbsp. coconut aminos to the pot and simmer on low, covered for 15-20 mins.
9. Remove the squash from the oven and lower temp to 350. Add squash to the pot.
10. Remove any strings off the saved seeds. Lightly coat the seeds with olive oil, a few cracks of salt and pepper, and a dust of turmeric and smoked paprika.
11. Spread on a baking sheet and roast in the oven for 15-20 mins, or until golden brown. (be careful, seeds may give off popping sound when taking out of oven)
12. Using an immersion blender, blend in 15 oz of pumpkin puree to the pot. Then mix in 1 cup full fat canned coconut milk.
13. Toast coconut flakes for a few mins on a dry pan.
14. Enjoy your soup topped with a dollop of coconut milk, roasted seeds, toasted coconut, dash of cayenne pepper, and additional salt + pepper to taste.
*For a thinner soup, add additional stock or coconut milk for your desired consistency.
*If you do not have an immersion blender, let the soup cool and batch blend with a blender. Then transfer back to the pot to reheat when ready to serve.