It’s the season in the Ohio Valley where we dress for winter in the morning, fall at lunch, and by late afternoon it feels like summer. I wouldn’t have it any other way!

This time of year, I always seem to make and crave soups.  I’ve already made chili, tomato & roasted red pepper soup and taco soup with cauliflower.  I’ve had lobster bisque from Uncle Pete’s and a delish butternut squash soup from the Public Market. When I saw my friend, Alex, okay this recipe for butternut squash soup, I thought it sounded great.  With simple ingredients and only a few steps, it fits the mold as a great feature in this food column. The soup I had this week had some cumin in it and I thought it was a great addition.   The recipe below is a Whole30 recipe for those who follow that diet.  

Alex and I were in Leadership West Virginia together last year and she’s such a smart and lovely lady that I miss dearly.  Thanks for letting me share this recipe, Alex! 

This soup is easy and quick to prepare.

Ingredients:

  • 3 T butter or coconut oil (I used ghee)
  • 1/2 C diced onion3
  • Diced seeded peeled butternut squash (I used probably 3/4 of a large squash, to get 3 C, but this recipe is worth doubling or tripling!!)
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/2 t ground ginger
  • Chicken broth
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper

Directions:

  1. In a large pot, melt cooking fat over medium heat to coat bottom of pot.
  2. When fat is hot, add onion, cooking until translucent (2-3 min).
  3. Add the garlic, squash, and ginger, stirring until garlic is aromatic (~1 min). 
  4. ADD chicken broth and bring to a boil over high heat. Boil until squash is soft, about 10 min.
  5. Remove pot from heat. 
  6. In one or two batches, transfer to a food processor (I used an immersion blender all in one batch in a large mixing bowl, and it worked perfectly).
  7. Blend until smooth in texture.
  8. Return puréed soup to pot. 
  9. HEAT soup over medium high heat until it thickens enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon, 7-10 min.
  10. Season with the salt and pepper.  
  11. Enjoy!!!