I’m a total soup junkie. Even in the dead of summer I’ve been known to order soup out at a restaurant, make it at home, and my mom always called me her soup queen when I was a kid. There’s just something comforting about a warm bowl filled with a mix of different flavors and ingredients. Fall has some of the best soups, and homemade butternut squash is definitely my favorite. Once the first chill sets in I get amped up to add it to my menu.
Lately my crock pot has been my best cooking friend because, lets face it, being a mom has me so busy that I don’t always have the time or energy to spend hours in my kitchen whipping up elaborate meals. But earlier this week I was soup inspired by Kelly Olexa, CEO and Founder of FitFluential when she shared a post from their blog, 46 Amazing Soup Recipes, on Facebook, some of which I cannot wait to try this winter. She asked her friends and followers who has made homemade soup and what their favorites are. Being the soup junkie that I am, I commented with Butternut squash soup and offered to share the recipe my husband and I make.
Just to get anyone up-to-speed that is unfamiliar, FitFluential was founded in 2011 by Kelly, and I’ve been following her and the company since the spring of 2012. I discovered them from friend, fitness trainer, gym owner and ambassador Amanda Perry. But it wasn’t until earlier this summer that I decided to take my chances and apply to become an ambassador too. I felt completely honored to have been accepted by Kelly herself, and I’m psyched to be part of such an amazing team of people that range from fitness professionals, enthusiasts, trainers and motivators. So Kelly, this one is for you. Thank you for fitspiring me for the last two and a half years, and giving me the opportunity to be a part of your FitFluential ambassador team! I hope you enjoy the recipe as much as I do 🙂
Please keep in mind this is a recipe my husband and I found online and I reference the original below. We make a few minor changes here and there and substitute one ingredient, but all in all the original recipe is perfect and delish as is. OK, OK, enough with the ongoing jibber jabber – here’s the recipe⇓!
- * 1 Butternut squash, about 2 pounds
- * 2 tablespoons of peanut or olive oil
- * 1 cup chopped onion
- * 1 1/2 teaspoons chopped garlic
- * 1/2 cup thinly sliced carrot
- * 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
- * 1/2 teaspoon salt
- * 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- * 1 tablespoon finely minced jalapeno pepper
- * 2 cups of chicken or vegetable stock
- * 1/4 cup Half & Half
- Garnishes & Toppings
- * Minced scallions
- * Goat Cheese
- Cut the squash in half and scoop out the seeds.
- Peel the squash and cut into 1 inch pieces.
- In a large pot, heat oil over medium heat.
- Add onion and garlic and cook, stirring often, until they begin to brown, about 5 minutes.
- Add the carrot, cumin, salt, and pepper. Cook for 1 minute, and then add squash, jalapeno pepper, and chicken stock.
- Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 15- 20 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender. Remove from the heat and puree the soup using an immersion blender, or transfer to a blender or food processor.
- Puree until smooth. Return to the heat, add the cream and adjust the seasonings.
- Garnish with scallions and goat cheese and serve.
- I substitute half & half for heavy to cut down added fat and calories.
- I usually buy a whole squash, but this time around I found organic pre-cut squash which made the prep time much quicker and easier - especially in the land of motherhood!
- I use an immersion blender instead of a food processor because I think i's much easier, plus it eliminates extra dishes to clean.
- I typically double all the ingredients to make a double batch because it's just so good that I need a lot of leftovers 🙂