Roasted Butternut Squash Ginger Soup

Servings: 10 - 12

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 1 ½ hours

Sweet with a little ginger zing, our roasted butternut squash ginger soup will keep you warm and full this season. This soup is so good you won’t even realize it’s brimming with eye and skin healthy vitamin A, immunity boosting vitamin C and heart healthy potassium. Butternut squash also has one of the highest amounts of  beta-cryptoxanthin, an antioxidant linked to reduced risk of colon and lung cancers and anti-inflammatory diseases like arthritis. To top it all off, the high fiber content and water volume in this soup will fill you up and not out, so grab a bowl and drink up!

Directions:

• Set oven to 425 and roast butternut squash, flesh side down on a lightly oiled roasting pan for 40 to 50 minutes or until squash is tender.

• Sauté shallot, ginger, carrots and garlic in butter until soft.

• Scoop butternut squash when it has cooled. Add squash, shallots, ginger, carrots and garlic to 3 cups low-sodium vegetable broth. Add cinnamon, vanilla, salt and pepper.

• Puree soup in blender or use an immersion blender until smooth.

• Allow to simmer until desired thickness is reached.

• Top with chives, pumpkin seeds or a swirl of maple syrup, if desired.

Ingredients:

• 1 large butternut squash or 4 cups cubed butternut squash

• 2 tablespoons butter

• 3 cloves garlic

• 2 carrots, chopped

• 1 large shallot or medium sized sweet onion, chopped

• 1/2 inch piece sliced ginger or about 1 tablespoon fresh garlic, minced

• 3 cups low-sodium vegetable broth

• 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper  

• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon     

• 2 tablespoons vanilla

• (optional) chives, pumpkin seeds or maple syrup