German Butternut Squash Soup

The recipe! This is one of my very favorite recipes that is adapted from my husband’s cousin in Germany. It’s so good for you and incredibly filling. If you use veggie stock and leave out the cream, it’s easy to make it vegan and it’s naturally gluten free! Start by preheating your oven to 350ºF.

Peeling the butternut squash can be a bit of a work-out and a great way to get out any pent up stress 🙂 Once you have it peeled, cube it up. The seeds are stored in the bottom round of the squash. I just cut around them so I don’t have to bother scooping them out at all. If you wish to save the seeds and toast them, this is an easy way to separate them for when you’re ready to cook them.

Ingredients:
Medium butternut squash (peeled and chopped)
Small onion (chopped)
1 green apple (cored and chopped)
2-3 carrots (chopped)
1 medium potato (peeled and chopped)
Olive oil
Dried parsley
Salt and pepper
Chicken stock
Cream (optional)
Toasted pumpkin seeds
Greek yogurt
Fried Brussels sprout leaves

Cube up the rest of your veggies and fruit to approximately the same size. I tend to leave the skin on the apple and the potato and carrots, too, if they are thin-skinned. I use organic Yukon golds and the skin is so thin there is no sense in taking the time to peel them AND waste all the nutrition in the skins. I put them on a bar pan sprayed with cooking spray or lined with parchment paper. Drizzle with EVOO, sprinkle with a good pinch of salt and pepper, sprinkle with dried parsley and toss to coat.

Roast your veggies until they are caramelized and fork tender (approximately 35-45 minutes). Remove veggies from the oven and allow them to cool slightly. Place roasted veggies inside a blender (pouring all oil left on the baking pan inside the blender as well). Puree roasted veggies in the blender and add stock until you reach your desired consistency. The soup can be thick or thin- it’s just your preference. At this point you can add cream, but you’ll be surprised by how creamy it is even without adding cream. Season to taste with salt and pepper, as needed.

Top with toasted pumpkin seeds for some good crunch and texture, with greek yogurt for a little zing and cream, and with some fried Brussels sprout leaves (or entire halves) for an extra flavor boost that just puts it over the top! This is a very filling soup and just warms you up on a cold, crisp fall day. I hope you enjoy!