I will be the first to admit there was a time I would have refused to eat a soup if I knew it had squash in it. Or, really, any other vegetables. There is zero chance I would have tried a bite of your butternut squash, leek, and apple soup. No. Way.
But one of the amazing women who cooked for me while I was sick is such a phenomenal cook, that when she served it to our family at dinner I knew I had to give it a taste. I have never, ever, been so pleasantly surprised. What a delicious soup!
I asked my friend for the recipe, which led to my second good fortune of stumbling upon this super amazing healthy living blog called My New Roots. The author Sarah B. says she started the blog “because I wanted to share the incredible knowledge I had received through my education in Holistic Nutrition. I discovered so many things that I believed needed to be public information, not just for those who can go to school to study in this field. I wanted to set up a non-biased space for people to come and learn about how to take better care of themselves through diet and lifestyle, as I have seen immense changes in myself since making little, positive changes every day.”
YES!
As you can see I skipped the croutons, but doubled up on the pepitas (pumpkin seeds) and some green onions on top
So the recipe… can be found on this sweet holistic nutrition blog. I have made this 3 times in the last month alone. I cannot get enough. It is so satisfying, it just hits every note and I cannot believe *I* made it. And it’s not even that hard! I usually take two nights to make it, but that’s not necessary at all. For me, it’s convenient to chop and roast the vegetables while I am cooking dinner one night, and put them in the fridge overnight. The next night I can just blend it all up and heat it through and get right to eating!
Butternut Squash, Leek and Apple Soup with Garlicky Rye Bread Croutons
Makes at least 2 quarts / 2 liters, Serves 4-6Ingredients:
2 Tbsp. melted coconut oil (or ghee)
3 leeks
1 medium onion
5 cloves garlic
1 large butternut squash (mine was about 2 lbs. / 1 kg)
1 large, tart apple
4 – 6 cups / 1-1½ liters vegetable broth, as needed
1 tsp. fine grain sea salt
1 tsp. ground cumin
½ tsp. ground cardamom
½ tsp. ground star anise
apple cider vinegar to taste (start with ½ tsp. up to 1 Tbsp.)
1 batch Garlicky Rye Bread Crouton (recipe to follow)
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400°F / 200°C.
2. Prepare all vegetables: chop leeks and onions, peel garlic (but leave it whole), peel butternut and cut into cubes, chop apple.
3. Place all vegetables on a baking sheet with the coconut oil, toss to coat, and set in the oven to roast for 25-35 minutes until tender.
4. Transfer roasted vegetables to a blender and add the spices and hot vegetable stock (you may need to work in batches). Blend on high until completely smooth. Taste, then add salt and apple cider vinegar, blend and taste again. Adjust seasoning to your taste, and add stock until the desired consistency is reached: I like mine quite thin so I use the full 6 cups / 1½ liters of stock.
5. Transfer soup to a large cooking pot over medium heat to warm, if necessary. Divide soup equally among bowls and serve with the Garlicky Rye Bread Croutons and freshly cracked black pepper.
Final thoughts:
- This recipe is crammed full of nutrients your body will LOVE you for eating
- This is also a perfect meal to bring to someone going thru cancer treatments right now. Don’t bring a big mac. Bring something nourishing, made with love, and delicious.
- You will have leftovers. Easy lunch for a couple of days or dinner the next night.
- The flavor is unbelievable. So fresh, and rich, and just perfect. Don’t skip the apple cider vinegar, or the seasonings. I couldn’t find my anise, so I used some extra cracked pepper. You can substitute somewhat and adjust the ratios, but don’t skip them entirely or else you will just have funky squash-applesauce.
- If you try it out, comment below. Did you change anything? How did the family like it? Will you make it again?