Veggie Tales by Kris: Soup’s On!

Well, it’s still winter. Might as well make soup!

Butternut Squash Soup… & a Simple Salad

I’ve been getting a lot of use out of my Immersion Blender. I just love it. So simple now to make wonderful thick soups without the use of fattening cream or burning myself to death by pouring hot mushy veggies into a blender 1 cup at a time! This recipe is great because I love how savory it turned out. I am not a fan of the Butternut Squash Soups of the world that taste like pumpkin pie. You won’t find cinnamon or nutmeg in this version!

Savory Butternut Squash Soup

What you’ll need:
2 tbs olive oil
1 large yellow onion (diced)
3 garlic cloves (minced)
1 inch fresh ginger (peeled and minced)
1 butternut squash (skin peeled, seeded and cubed)
2 medium-large yellow potatoes (peeled and cubed)
1 teaspoon dried sage (add more to taste)
2 tsp fresh chopped thyme (add more to taste or as garnish)
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
salt and pepper to taste
About 6-8 cups chicken or vegetable stock
(the goal is to have enough to cover the vegetables in your pot so it depends on pot size. You can just add water if you run out of stock but do mind your seasonings if that is the case!)

What you’ll do:
Heat oil in a large soup pot. Add in onions and cook until softened- about 5 minutes. Add garlic and ginger. Cook another 5 minutes (don’t let them burn!). Add squash, potatoes and herbs and a little salt and pepper to start. Cover the vegetables with the stock/water. Just until it covers the top veggies. Bring soup to a boil and let simmer for 30 minutes covered, or until the veggies are soft. Turn off heat. In meantime make the salad below. When soup has just cooled a bit (but still hot) blend the soup until it is a nice smooth consistency.
The Salad
So simple. Just finely shop cucumber, red onion, and cherry tomatoes. Add to some chopped romaine. To get your protein add your favorite beans. I love butter beans! I used a lovely red wine vinaigrette to dress this one.