Recipe: A One Pot Butternut Squash Soup For The Books

A dairy-free, vegan, ONE POT hearty soup? Count us in. 

As the leaves change and the temperatures drop (up north anyway), we find ourselves craving something warm, something nurturing, and something filling. In times of such uncertainty, one thing we can all be certain about is delicious soup, especially one that’s real good for you too. 

Butternut squash is high in antioxidants which means it’s a great anti-inflammatory — great for anyone suffering from plantar fasciitis or arthritis! It also has plenty of Vitamin C, which aids in collagen production, as well as manganese, folate and zinc which all help keep your bones strong, including the ones in your feet. 

Whether you’re a seasoned home chef or you count making toast as cooking, this recipe is one any of us can handle. Plus, it doesn’t leave us having to clean a bunch of different pots and pans and uses plant-based ingredients most of us have stocked at home. This only makes it clearer — this soup is for the win. 

The Busy Baker’s recipe below, and you can watch the video here: 

https://thebusybaker.ca/creamy-one-pot-butternut-squash-soup/?jwsource=cl

Creamy One Pot Butternut Squash Soup

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger (or 1 teaspoon powdered ginger)
• 3/4 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/4 teaspoon white pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh or dried thyme leaves, finely chopped
• 1 medium butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
• 4 cups vegetable stock (or use chicken stock for a non-vegan soup)
• 3/4 cup coconut milk (or use half and half for a rich, non-vegan soup)
• fresh thyme sprigs, coconut cream (or heavy cream) for garnish

Instructions

1. Heat a large pot over medium heat. Add the olive oil.
2. Add the onion, garlic, ginger, salt and pepper, and thyme, and saute until the onion is soft and transparent.
3. Add the cubed butternut squash and toss in the onion mixture.
4. Add the vegetable stock and stir to combine (You might need to add a little more or less stock, depending on the size of your squash. The liquid level should be just slightly lower than the squash).
5. Add the lid to the pot and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
6. Once the soup reaches a boil turn the heat down to medium-low and simmer for about 20 minutes or until the butternut squash is very tender when you pierce it with a fork.
7. Remove the soup from the heat and add the coconut milk.
8. Puree with a hand-held immersion blender, or puree in batches in a regular countertop blender.
9. Serve immediately with a garnish of fresh thyme and some coconut cream or yogurt, or store in airtight containers in the fridge or freezer.