Roasted Butternut Squash and Apple Soup

This soup is really worth blogging about. I tried to find a similar recipe but ended up having to create my own to get the flavoring just right. I hope you will enjoy it as well.

I love this time of year and the warmth a good soup brings. This is one of my favorites with the combination of both apple and butternut squash. The roasting process adds a lovely caramelized richness and the aroma in the kitchen is out of this world. The secret ingredient is curry. It adds a robust flavoring that even this non curry fan can't deny. It's so subtle you won't detect it but without out it, it's just not as good. The garnish of toasted pepitas (pumpkin seeds) and fresh pomegranate seeds is both festive and flavorful. You'll savor them in each bite!

I have made this vegan because that's how I prefer to eat and the flavor does not disappoint but you may substitute as you wish.

To make this simpler and quicker I used freshly prepped ingredients from Trader Joe's. For those without a local Trader Joe's, my apologies but many grocery stores are catching on to the convenience of prepped ingredients and of course freshly prepped at home is always best.

Butternut Squash prepped and cubed- got to love it!

Onions, carrots and celery- diced! No more tears.

Fresh apple juice and organic vegetable broth and diced apple

Roasted Butternut Squash and Apple Soup

Makes about 8-10 cups  Print Friendly

Ingredients:

4 12 oz bags Trader Joe's peeled and cubed Butternut Squash or about 3 lbs *

1 apple cored and diced, Gala or your choice

2 cloves Garlic, peeled and minced

1/2 cup Carrots, peeled and diced

1/2 cup Celery, diced

1/2 cup Onion, diced

2 -3 cups Vegetable Broth, organic preferred

1/2 cup Apple Juice, I used fresh flash pasteurized from TJ's

1/2 cup unsweetened Almond Milk, optional

1/2 tsp Ground Coriander

1/2 tsp CurryPowder

1 Cinnamon stick

2 Tbsp Coconut Oil, optional

Salt

Pepper

Cinnamon

Pepitas

Pomegranate seeds

Instructions:

Preheat Oven to 450 degrees

Line baking sheet with parchment paper and lightly oil if you like to prevent sticking

Place squash cubes in single layer on baking sheet

Sprinkle with salt (optional), pepper and cinnamon

Roast 30-45 minutes, turning after 15 minutes, until tender and caramelized to taste

Remove and let cool

In a large pot, melt coconut oil or use a splash of broth

Cook garlic until lightly cooked but not brown

Add Mirepoix mix of onions, carrots, celery, coriander, curry powder and cinnamon stick  Cook until onions are translucent, about 8 minutes

Add in roasted squash cubes, apple, apple juice, and enough broth to cover ingredients starting with 2 cups.

Bring to a boil then cover then reduce heat and let simmer until all ingredients are cooked through and flavors meld, about 10 minutes. Remove cinnamon stick.

Use a hand held Immersion blender or place the soup in batches in a blender or food processor to puree. Make sure to remove top cap on blender top and cover with a towel to let the steam escape while blending and only fill container half full. You don't want to scotch yourself! Add in Almond milk for more creaminess if desired. Rinse pan and return blended soup to pot to keep warm while serving. Season with salted pepper to taste. If you would like a thinner soup add in more broth and stir until you reach your desired consistency. 

Toast Pepitas in a dry skillet over medium heat until oils are released and the seeds are slightly crispy. Bowl up the soup and scatter the pepitas and pomegranate seeds on top.

Serve with your favorite bread or salad or both and enjoy!

 
Try it out and let me know what you think.

Until next time,

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Veggie Wrap with Spicy Asian Hummus

Tired of salads and miss sandwiches? Try a wrap! It's an easy and tasty way to get your veggies in.

The combinations are virtually endless but we are finding that one ingredient makes a big difference- hummus. Lately we have been learning that hummus is a staple we need to have in the fridge at all times. It's a great way to eat raw vegetables as a dip. I can down a whole bag of baby carrots if I have hummus around. It's also a good substitute for mayo and cheese in wraps like above or pitas, bread sandwiches….  the list goes on. 

I have been making all kinds of hummus lately trying to find that favorite combo of flavors that will be the regular star of our fridge.

I have to tell you that I never really liked hummus before I tried some raw versions. And I actually hear this a lot. I also hear that people like hummus but hummus doesn't necessarily like them. I think it's the chickpeas. Some people have trouble digesting them. For me they are kind of gritty in texture and not as smooth as some others. I've been experimenting with tahini based as well as white bean hummus/dip lately. The culprit to avoid in store bought hummus and many recipes is OIL! Some can have 1/2 a cup or more!

That's pure fat and don't be fooled; it isn't a good fat either! Tahini on the other hand is just ground sesame seeds and in limited amounts is actually healthy. I've read reviews where people say this or that recipe is "so light and low fat" because it doesn't have 2 tablespoons of tahini but it has over 1/2 a cup of oil! 

That just won't fly. I try to keep my portion of seeds/ tahini to less than 1 ounce per day, which is doable with a good recipe. But I am way off track because this recipe has neither olive oil or tahini in it.

I adapted this recipe from the creative minds over at White on Rice Couple's blog. For their original recipe check here.  I've made some changes to lower the fat content but the main tasting ingredient here is the Spicy Sriracha Hot Chili Sauce. I chose the cannellini white kidney beans due to the creaminess when blended.

Spicy Asian White Bean Hummus/ Dip

Ingredients:

1 15-ounce can of white cannellini beans, drained and rinsed but save the bean water from the can.

1/4 cup of the bean water or water as needed

1-2 tablespoons Sriracha Hot Sauce, per taste

2 teaspoons Bragg's Liquid Aminos or a low salt Tamari/ Soy Sauce

1 large clove of garlic, peeled and pressed, unless using a high speed blender then just peeled

1/2 teaspoon curry powder

1 tablespoons of lime juice

Drain the beans and then rinse well, saving the bean fluid.

Blend all the ingredients starting with 2 tablespoons of the bean water. If you need to thin it to get it going add a little more until desired consistency. Blend until creamy. Hummus is one of those things that gets better with a little time so let sit in the fridge for a bit before serving, if you can wait.

Enjoy this spicy dip with anything you can think of.  Or make…

 A Veggie Wrap

This combination idea came from Dr. Esselstyn and his wife, Ann from the their best selling book, Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease.

Ingredients:

corn

tomatoes, chopped

spinach

green onions, chopped

cilantro, chopped

carrots, shredded

pea sprouts

wraps

I used a gluten free wrap by the Tortilla Factory that uses a whole grain, ivory teff (check it out here.) It was quite good but you do need to heat it a little first to make it pliable. A whole grain wrap such as the Ezekiel brand would be a good choice too if you don't have gluten sensitivities. 

Preheat oven to 450.

Spread the wrap, once pliable with the hummus. The more the better. (I was a little skimpy here.) Then pile up your veggies and roll as tightly as you can. Slice in half and then heat until crispy in the oven, about 10 minutes.

Delicious! 

But don't just take my word for it. Check out the happy face of my taste tester, Rich.

He was just reading over my shoulder as I was posting this and said those were really good! When can we make those again? I guess I know what to make for lunch tomorrow. ;-)

So, do you have a favorite hummus recipe or dip that's light on the oil and salt?

What are your favorite ways to eat hummus? or are you like I was and hummus squeamish still?

I'm telling you, step away from the store bought stuff and even the chickpeas if you don't like them and try something new. You may be surprised.

Until next time…

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