Butternut Squash Soup

My all-time favorite Butternut Squash Soup recipe.  This recipe is super creamy (yet cream-less) and full of delicious butternut flavor. Leftover soup tastes even better the next day. It’s super-easy to make, naturally gluten-free and vegan, and SO incredibly cozy and delicious. 

Ingredients:

•  1 yellow onion, roughly chopped

• 4 cloves garlic, minced

• 1 carrot, peeled and roughly chopped

• 1 apple, cored and roughly chopped

• 1 medium (about 3–4 lbs) butternut squash, peeled, seeded and diced

• 3 cups veggie broth

• 1 sprig fresh sage

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1/4 teaspoon freshly-ground black pepper

• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne

• pinch of ground cinnamon

• 1/2 cup canned coconut milk

Optional garnishes: diced apple, toasted almonds, fresh herbs, drizzle of coconut milk, smoked paprika, handful of micro-greens or arugula.

Instructions:

Heat 1-2 Tablespoons of olive oil in a large soup pot. Add diced onion and sauté for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add minced garlic and sauté for 1-2 minutes, until fragrant.
Add vegetable stock, carrot, apple, butternut squash, sage, salt, pepper, cayenne and cinnamon. Toss to combine.
Cook on medium-high until the mixture reaches a simmer. Then cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer for 20-30 minutes until the vegetables are all tender and mash easily with a fork.
Remove and discard the sage. Stir in the coconut milk.
Use an immersion blender to puree the soup until smooth. (Or you can transfer the soup in two batches into a traditional blender and puree until smooth, being extremely careful not to fill the blender too full with a hot liquid.) Taste, and season with additional salt, pepper and cayenne as needed.
Serve warm, topped with your desired garnishes.