Seasonal eating is a way of life for many. Buying fruits and vegetables planted in the spring, grow during the summer and are harvested in autumn. Fall crops at their peak right now include root vegetables, pears, apples, squash, sweet potatoes, beets and parsnips, just to name a few.
Add this delicious Butternut Squash and Sweet Potato Soup to your fall recipe rotation. It will warm you up on chilly nights and make the whole house smell like home, and squash and sweet potatoes are nutritional powerhouses. Pair a glass of your favorite light, white wine, start your first fire of the year and tuck in to enjoy a nice bowl of comforting and warming soup.
Fall Butternut Squash and Sweet Potato Soup from Salt Lake Magazine on Vimeo.
ROASTED SQUASH AND SWEET POTATO SOUP
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large butternut squash (2 1/2 –3 pounds), cut in half lengthwise, seeded*
3 medium sweet potatoes (2 pounds)
5 large garlic cloves, peeled
2 yellow or white onions, peeled, cut into quarters
4 cups vegetable stock
1 1/2 cups water
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup roasted pepitas (for garnish)
Salt and pepper, to taste
ROASTED SQUASH SEEDS
*Seeds reserved from the butternut squash
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Brush oil on squash halves, sweet potatoes, onions and garlic cloves. Season squash, sweet potatoes and onions with salt and pepper. Wrap sweet potatoes individually in foil and the garlic cloves in foil. Place everything on a large foil-lined baking sheet. Roast garlic and onions for 25–30 minutes. Roast the squash and sweet potatoes for 40–45 minutes until soft. Let cool enough to handle. Remove and discard sweet potato skins.
In a large soup pot, add roasted onions and sweet potato flesh. Squeeze the roasted garlic out of their skins into the pot. Scoop out squash flesh and transfer to soup pot. Add vegetable stock. Bring to a boil, lower heat and simmer covered for 25–30 minutes. Remove from heat. Using an immersion blender, or working in batches with a blender, puree soup until smooth. Return pot to medium heat, add water, ginger, chili powder, cinnamon, salt and pepper. Simmer for 8–10 minutes.
While the soup is simmering, rinse the squash seeds; pat dry. Toss seeds with olive oil, chili powder and cinnamon. On a foil-lined baking sheet, spread out seeds and roast at 400 degrees for 5–6 minutes. (Note: Keep a close eye on them to not burn.) Garnish each soup serving with roasted squash seeds and/or roasted pepitas.
Note: For a creamier version, you can substitute the 1 cup of water for 1 cup heavy whipping cream.
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Find more delicious recipes from foodie Jennifer Burns, here!
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