Butternut Squash Soup with Sweet Potato and Coconut {Recipe}

It's that time of year when winter squash is coming out the wazoo, toppling out of large crates at grocery stores and dominating roadside produce stands. This ubiquitous fall veggie is tasty, easy to prepare, super-inexpensive and packed with nutrients such as vitamins A and C, dietary fiber and omega-3 fatty acids. And it's a perfect early food for babies too!

One of our favourite ways to prepare squash is pureeing up a big batch of soup. We've tried numerous variations but always come back to this one which has the perfect (in my opinion!) balance of savoury, sweet and aromatic flavours. We use butternut squash but any (or most) of the other types of winter squash could probably be used instead.

Butternut Squash Soup with Sweet Potato and Coconut

Prep Time: 20-30 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours
Yield: 4 large bowls

Ingredients:

• 1 medium butternut squash
• 1 medium sweet potato
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil
• 1 small onion
• 3-4 gloves garlic
• 2.5 cups chicken broth
• 1 can coconut milk
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne (optional)
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper

(Note - choose organic ingredients where possible.)


Steps:

1. Cook the squash. I like to cut it length-wise and bake it cut side up at 350 degrees on a baking sheet with a little water at the bottom until tender. (60-80 minutes usually does the trick.)
   
   
   
   
   
2. Cook the sweet potato. I cut it into medium-sized chunks, throw 'em in my stove-top steamer, bring to a boil and steam for 8-10 minutes.
   
   
   
   
   
3. Saute onions in coconut oil (medium heat) until translucent - about 6-7 minutes. Add garlic and saute for another 3-4 minutes.
   
   
   
   
   
4. Once the squash, sweet potato and onion/garlic mixture have cooled slightly, use a standard or immersion blender and puree these ingredients together with the chicken stock. If using a standard blender, you'll probably need to puree in batches.
   
   
   
   
   
5. Transfer pureed ingredients into a large pot or dutch oven. Stir in coconut milk and spices, bring to a low boil and simmer for 10-15 minutes.
   
   
   
   
   
6. Serve with an additional sprinkle of cinnamon and pepper (and/or a dollop of yogurt or extra coconut milk, if desired) and enjoy!
   
   
   

Do you enjoy winter squash? What's your favourite way to prepare it?