An all-time favorite year round but especially in the cooler months of the year, this is a soothing and nourishing soup to warm you internally and especially your soul. The orange color is testament to the powerful antioxidant and phytonutrient content of this true food dish.
Roasted Butternut Power Soup
Author: Eat Holistic LLC
Recipe type: Soup
Ingredients
- • 1 medium-sized butternut squash, peeled & cuber after roasting
- • 1 sweet potato or yam, peeled & cubed before roasting
- • 1 large carrot, cubed
- 2 leeks, sliced
- 4 celery stalks, sliced
- • 2 medium-sized onions, chopped
- • 2-3 cloves of garlic, chopped
- • ¾ cup of red lentils, rinsed and drained. No need to soak or pre-cook.
- • Liquid: either home-made stock, or organic low sodium ready-made broth (e.g. Pacific brand) or dissolve 2 organic vegetable stock cubes (e.g. Rapunzel brand) in 4-5 cups of hot water.
- • Spices to taste: celtic sea salt, black pepper, turmeric, cumin, garam masala, pinch of cayenne pepper (if you want your kids to eat this soup, be very careful here, cayenne is very potent)
Instructions
- The delicious key here is to roast the squash and yams first! Cut off the stem of your squash, then half it with a sharp knife and some elbow grease, remove seeds & pulp, place cut-side down on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, add the cubed yams and roast at 400 deg F for 30 min, remove the yams and continue roasting the squash for another 15-30 minutes. A knife should easily slide in when done. Scoop out the flesh and put aside.
- In a large pot, sweat the onion on medium-low heat in a little olive oil or coconut oil for about 6-10 minutes, add chopped garlic for another minute, then add the other veggies, stirring for about 2-3 minutes, add the lentils, stir another 2-3 minutes, add the liquid (stock or broth) until all ingredients are covered and there is enough room for liquid to boil off.
- Simmer until vegetables are just tender, about 10 minutes, add the roasted squash and all the spices to taste.
- Let cook for another 10 minutes.
- When done and cooled, puree in a blender or food processor.
Notes
A creamy pureed soup often benefits from a dash of cream. As I limit my dairy intake I have adopted this recipe from one of my favorite cookbooks: “The Cancer Fighting Kitchen” from a stellar Chef and healing foods cookbook author and educator Rebecca Katz.
CASHEW CREAM
• 1 cup raw cashews
• 1 cup water
• 1 tsp freshly squeezed lemon or orange juice
• ¼ tsp sea salt
• pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
I throw it all into my blender, it takes a few minutes until a delicate smooth texture develops. It is really yummy! As you would with regular cream, just swirl a dollop into your soup, and enjoy!
CASHEW CREAM
• 1 cup raw cashews
• 1 cup water
• 1 tsp freshly squeezed lemon or orange juice
• ¼ tsp sea salt
• pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
I throw it all into my blender, it takes a few minutes until a delicate smooth texture develops. It is really yummy! As you would with regular cream, just swirl a dollop into your soup, and enjoy!
