Cold Weather Calls for Hot Soup!

It has been pretty chilly here in Dallas the last several days which is perfect for Roasted Butternut Squash Soup! This recipe is AIP-friendly and can be made vegan by using vegetable stock instead of chicken stock.

Time - 1 hour. Makes six 1-cup servings.

Ingredients

2 medium butternut squash, cut in half lengthwise

3 TBSP olive oil or avocado oil

2 leeks, white and tender parts only, thinly sliced

6 cups chicken broth 

3-4 stalks of thyme

1 tsp Pumpkin Pie Spice (I use Primal Palate - click here for 10% off their products)

1 1/2 tsp salt + more to taste, if needed

1 1/2 tsp pepper + more to taste, if needed

Kitchen Tools Needed

• Baking sheet lined with parchment paper

• Large stock pot 

• Immersion blender or regular blender

Instructions

Heat oven to 350F. 

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Pierce the outside of the butternut squash in a few places with a knife and then place it on the baking sheet with the cut side down. Bake for 40 minutes. After 40 minutes, if the squash is still a little firm, place it back in the oven for another 10 minutes. Remove it from the oven and allow it to cool for a few minutes. 

While the squash is baking, heat the oil in a large stock pot over medium-low heat. Add the leeks and saute them until they are soft. If they are turning brown, lower the heat. Strip the thyme leaves from the stalks and add them to the leeks along with the chicken stock. Bring to a simmer. 

Using a spoon, remove the seeds from the squash and discard. Scoop out the remaining squash and add it to the pot. Once all of the squash is in the pot, add the pumpkin pie spice, salt and pepper, and simmer for 10-15 minutes.

Using the immersion blender, blend the soup to a smooth consistency. Note: If you are using a regular blender, blend it in small batches and don’t fill the blender all the way since the hot liquid can force the lid off. This will take a little longer but it’s worth it to not have to deal with a huge mess or possible burns.

The soup is really good as is! However, if you want to jazz it up a bit you can add a dollop of sour cream, some crumbled bacon or chopped green onion. 

Enjoy!