Butternut Squash-Leek-Ginger Soup

January 18, 2017

By Anna Varriano

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This is one of my favourite soups. The warm flavour combinations are just right for a cold fall or winter day, and it’s loaded with health-boosting nutrients!

I hope you’ll try it and enjoy it!

Anna

You Will Need:

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  • a butternut squash
  • 3 or 4 leeks
  • a few cloves of garlic
  • a piece of fresh ginger root
  • 4 to 6 cups of chicken stock or veggie stock (store bought is OK if you don’t have time to make your own – organic is best!)
  • 4 TBSP of butter or coconut oil
  • unrefined salt
  • not pictured above, but nice for ‘decorating’ the soup before serving, some plain yogurt or kefir and some fresh herbs (e.g. parsley, cilantro, dill, etc)

Step 2: Sauteeing

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  • clean the leeks well (remove tough green tops, cut in half lengthwise and rinse to remove any dirt, then chop up)
  • melt the butter in a large saucepan and add the leeks and a sprinkle of salt, stir and let sautee while you prepare the ginger …
  • wash the fresh ginger root and cut off 4 or 5 slices (more or less depending on how much ginger ‘zing’ you want your soup to have), then add to the leeks and sautee for 3-5 minutes or until leeks start to soften. While you’re keeping your eye on this step, you can start the next one (you can also prep the squash before starting anything if you’d rather have everything ready before you start)

Step 3: Prepping the Squash

It is sometimes challenging to peel and cut up a squash. Use a sharp knife and cut the squash into manageable-sized pieces that you can peel, de-seed, and chop up… like so:

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Next, remove the peel, either with a peeler or sharp knife, and scoop out the seeds using a spoon or ice cream scoop … like so:

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Then, chop up the squash into cubes … like so:

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Step 4: More Sauteeing

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  • Add the squash to the saucepan and stir well to mix it with the leek and ginger
  • Sautee for another 5 minutes or so

Step 5: Stocky Simmering

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  • Add the stock. It should completely cover the veggies in the saucepan. If it doesn’t, you can add more stock (if you have it more on hand) or you can add water
  • Mix well, bring to a boil, and then reduce heat so that you get a simmer going, then let simmer for 15-20 minutes or until squash is completely soft/mashable (you can check with a fork)

Step 6: Blending

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Let the soup cool, then pour it into a blender (do not try to blend hot soup as this can lead to a big soup explosion mess and if the soup is really hot, you can get burnt!). Blend until smooth. Give it a taste and season with more salt (or pepper, or whatever your favourite seasoning might be) if necessary.

Step 6: Serving

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Time to enjoy this delicious soup. I drizzled some organic whole fat keffir over the soup then dragged a knife through it to make a fancy pattern. Top with a bit of parsley or cilantro or any green herb you love for a bit of colour … and flavour!

Enjoy!

 

 

 

 

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