Butternut Squash Soup

Butternut squash is low in calories and high in fiber. It has lots of vitamin A, C, and several of the B vitamins. It contains magnesium, potassium and manganese. It’s also a good source of iron, potassium, phosphorus, and copper. Which makes this squash good for eyesight, bone health, immunity, and slowing cellular damage. It can reduce your risk of lung and bone cancer and enhance memory recall. And because of its high fiber, it can help you feel fuller longer, therefore help with weight loss. Here’s a favorite recipe of mine. I’ve substituted butter for coconut oil and cream for Laird Creamer, a coconut based cream substitute with beneficial mushrooms.

Hearty Butternut Squash Soup

Ingredients

1 lg butternut squash

1 lg white onion diced

1 whole head garlic diced

1 Tbs coconut oil

½ teaspoon Nutmeg (grated whole nutmeg is best)

¼ teaspoon Cayenne pepper

Spring or filtered water (4-6c)

1c Laird super food creamer or cream

1 Tablespoon arrowroot starch (or corn starch)

slowly add 2 Tbs hot water to starch and stir, add to soup when liquified.

¼ c Local honey

Shelled Pumpkin seeds

Directions

Wash your squash, peel or blanch

To blanch: boil a pot of water, turn off stove top, leave squash in hot water for 10 min until peel comes off easily, remove outer

skin.

Slice then cut into chunks.

Remove seeds with a spatula and cut inner soft, fibrous area around seeds.

Wash peeled, cut squash in bowl of salted water, rinse, and place in colander to drip dry

Save peels and inner fiber in a bag and freeze for vegetable stock

Save washed seeds to roast or plant

Sauté onions in coconut oil till clear. Add garlic and sauté, add squash and toss on low to medium heat for 6-8 minutes. Avoid browning.

Grate nutmeg and sprinkle cayenne pepper into squash mix. Lower heat.

Add just enough water to cover fruit, turn heat on high till boiling, then turn down heat to medium.

Cook without lid for 20 to 30 minutes, until squash is soft.

Turn heat to low. Using a blending stick on medium then high, blend all ingredients till pureed.

For thicker soup, slowly pour liquified starch while stirring into soup. Cooking longer on low heat will thicken soup once starch is added.

Drizzle honey when finished cooking, stir well. Serve with pumpkin seeds. May be made before holidays and frozen.