Simple Butternut Squash Soup

Butternut squash soup has always been a staple at my house, especially during colder months. Not only is this soup cozy and delicious it's also healthy and very easy to make.

Benefits: Butternut squash is high in Vitamin A which is essential for immune function, eye health as well as reproduction and fetal development.

Ingredients:

• 1 Butternut squash

• 1 Onion

• 2 Carrots

• 3-4 Garlic cloves

• 1 Sweet potato or Yam (Yams have a purple skin and are traditionally sweeter)

• 6 Cups of Vegetable broth (chicken broth also works)

• 2 Tbsp of Olive oil

• 1 Tsp of Cinnamon

• Salt & Peper to taste

Topping Options:

• Cilantro

• Pumpkin seeds

• Chilie flakes

• Drizzle of Olive oil

• Drizzle of Heavy Cream

Fun Add Ons Ingredients:

• 1-2 Pears

• 1 Can of Coconut milk

• 1 Cup of Cranberries (frozen or fresh)

Instructions:

1. Start by chopping your onion in 1/2 inch cubes. Peel and cut your squash in half to core the seeds out. Chop your butternut squash and carrots into 1 inch cubes (it's important to cut your carrots and squash roughly the same size so that they both cook at the same rate).

2. Place a large pot on medium heat. Add your olive oil, chopped onion and a dash of salt and pepper to taste. Cook for approximately 5 minutes or until your onions are translucent.

3. Add all other vegetables into the pot along with any additional add ons you'd like to try then cover them with your broth. The pears are my favourite add-on as they give delicious sweetness to the soup!  

4. Increase your cooking temperature to high heat until the soup comes to a boil then reduce the heat to low. Cover and let simmer for approximately 20-25 minutes until the vegetables are tender (ideally a fork should enter each veggies easily).

5. Using an emersion blender, puree all the ingredients until smooth. Otherwise, you can safely transfer the soup into a blender to process. At this stage you can blend in your cinnamon and any additional salt and pepper if needed. This would also be the time to add in your coconut milk.

6. Plate and enjoy with a slice of French bread or top with cilantro and an extra drizzle of olive oil.