Butternut Squash Soup {Vegan}

With the weather starting to dip down in Nova Scotia during the last few weeks (minus today as it’s +15C), I’ve been wanting to make soup. And after attending a workshop over a month ago and having squash soup I was determined to make some of my own. I may even add this to our Fall Bucket List for next year.

Of course, I turned to Pinterest and found this Classic Butternut Squash Soup from Whole Foods. We don’t have a Whole Foods in Nova Scotia – which is a bummer as I quite enjoyed shopping there when I was visiting friends in Toronto. [Whole Foods – if you are reading this – please consider building a shop in Nova Scotia, pretty please].

Picture from Pinterest. I only wish I could take a photo like this.

Classic Butternut Squash Soup: from Whole Foods

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 carrot, diced
1 celery stalk, diced
1 onion, diced
4 cups cubed butternut squash, fresh or frozen
1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth {OR Veggie broth – to make it Vegan}
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

Method:

Heat oil in a large soup pot. Add carrot, celery and onion. Cook until vegetables have begun to soften and onion turns translucent, 3 to 4 minutes.
Stir in butternut squash, thyme, chicken broth, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until squash is fork-tender, about 30 minutes.
Use an immersion blender to purée soup. Alternatively, let the soup cool slightly and carefully purée in batches in a traditional blender. {I used our large food processor and it worked just fine}.

We really enjoyed this soup, it was gone by lunch time the next day. Lilly didn’t like it but we will give it a go again and make a double batch to freeze some. This will be perfect for when the baby arrives and I need a quick lunch.

Bonus: They also provide three other ways of making the soup: Thai-style, Apple/Gorgonzola and Almond, Southwestern Style. Our next test will be the Thai-Style.