Breathe Magazine

Although winter can seem a tough time for making seasonal dishes, make the most of the winter squashes that are readily available.  This is one of my favorite winter soup recipes using butternut squash. Butternut squash is not only delicious but has great nutritional value.  One cup of butternut squash has an excellent amount of Vitamin A and contains Vitamin C, folate, and potassium. 

The recipe below only requires several ingredients, but tastes rich and creamy with a mild sweetness.   I tried to make this a bit lighter by using whole milk instead of heavy cream.  If you want to make this a little different, which I am planning on in the future, I would suggest using light coconut milk.

To jazz this up, you can place sliced apples on top or a sprinkling of cheddar cheese.

Butternut Squash Apple Soup

2 cups of diced butternut squash
1 and 1/2 cups of diced apple
3 cups of vegetable broth (I like Kitchen basics or Swanson)
1/2 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon of unsalted butter (preferably organic)
1 small onion, diced
1 garlic clove, minced
1/3 cup of whole milk (preferably organic)
dash of nutmeg (to taste)
1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon

Set 1/2 tablespoon of oil over medium heat.

Saute onion until translucent. Add garlic and saute for 30 seconds.

Add butter. When melted, add butternut squash and apple and saute for 3 minutes.

Add vegetable broth, cover pot with lid, and bring to a boil.

Once boiling, bring down to medium-low and simmer until squash and apples and fork tender.

Remove and puree soup in batches (if necessary). Once soup is pureed, stir in seasoning (to taste) and milk. Then serve!

*Keep it simple tip: Try making soups on the weekends and freeze the leftovers in small containers. Then you will have lunch when you need it!