Velvety Butternut Squash Soup
Ingredients
- 1 small bulb of garlic
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 1 medium carrot, peeled and roughly chopped
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 1 medium butternut squash (about 6 cups diced), peeled and cubed
- 2 inches of fresh ginger, roughly chopped
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp Chinese five spice (optional)
- 2 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 cup apple juice
- 1 cup vegetable broth
- 1 can coconut milk or 2 cups cashew milk
- 1/4 tsp salt
Preparation
(Optional step for roasted garlic): Preheat oven to 400°F. Cut the root end of the garlic bulb, place it in foil with a drizzle of olive oil, and roast for 10-15 minutes while you chop your vegetables. Once cooked, cool and remove individual cloves of garlic from the shells.
In a large pot, add olive oil, diced onion, and chopped carrot with a pinch of salt. Sauté until the onions have softened.
Add the cubed butternut squash to the pot with another pinch of salt. Stir in the ginger and garlic. Sauté until fragrant.
Add the cinnamon, Chinese five spice (if using), maple syrup, vegetable broth, apple juice, coconut milk or cashew milk, and salt. Stir well and bring to a boil. Then, reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes or until the butternut squash is cooked through.
Use an immersion blender to blend the soup until smooth. Alternatively, you can place the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.
Pour the velvety butternut squash soup into bowls and top as desired.
