Fall Recipe: Butternut Squash Soup with Coconut Cream
Perfect on a chilly night. This soup is easy, economical, packed with many vital poly-phenolic anti-oxidants and vitamins. The spices add a bit of a kick and the coconut cream is well, heavenly. Enjoy!
| 2 medium butternut squash, each cut lengthwise in half, seeds removed 3 medium sized tart apples (Honey Crisp, Cortland, Granny Smith) 2 medium stalks celery, chopped 1 medium cooking onion, chopped 1 tsp ground cumin ¼ tsp chipotle chili powder or dried chili flakes 1 bay leaf Sea salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste 4 cups of veggie stock 2 cups water 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil Coconut Cream (see recipe below), raw or toasted pumpkin seeds and/or fresh chives for garnish-Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Line cookie sheet with foil or just use a high quality cookie sheet that doesn’t stick. -Place squash halves, cut sides down, in lined pan, and roast about 45 minutes or until very tender when pierced with a knife. During the last 10 minutes of baking place the apples, whole, on baking sheet. -Continue baking until the 10 minutes is up. Cool until easy to handle, then, with spoon, scoop squash from skins and place in large bowl. -Discard skins. Keep the peel on the apples and simply cut into large slices and discard the core. -Meanwhile, in 5- to 6-quart saucepot, heat oil on medium until hot. Add celery and onion, and cook 10 minutes. Stir in cumin, chipotle chili, ½ teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper; cook 30 seconds, stirring. -Add broth, water, and squash to saucepot; cover and heat to boiling on high. Reduce heat to low, and simmer 10mins. The longer you simmer it, the better it tastes! -In batches, ladle squash mixture into blender. With center part of blender cover removed to allow steam to escape, blend squash mixture until pureed. Don’t forget to remove the bay leaf! -Pour soup into large bowl. Return all soup to saucepot and heat through. Garnish each serving with a dollop or swirl of coconut cream, raw or toasted pumpkin seeds and/or fresh chives. Makes 10.5 cups (great for freezing). Coconut Cream 1 cup coconut meat, soaked in water for 4 hours* -Drain and rinse macadamia nuts |
| By Melissa Macchione, RHN |
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