I think I blinked and it’s almost Thanksgiving. What?! We are now in full swing of my favorite time of the year.
I have no shame in admitting that my Christmas tree and partial decorations are already up (hey, I just moved so I had to figure out what I already had, okay?!), my mulled cider and fraser fir candles are burning, and I’m enjoying a cup of hot chocolate every day.
I don’t even have to ask what would be better than this, because the answer is nothing.
Last week was my Dad’s birthday, and so we had a Christmas themed party for him. Take a guess at who I get my holiday love from.
I decided to whip up this butternut squash soup and it is now definitely going to be a staple soup in my life.
You need it in yours.
The key to this soup is by roasting the garlic inside the little seed holes of the squash. Just shove them right in there, roast it, and you’ve got flavor magic. Top it with some cinnamon for a sweet appetizer or cilantro for a spicy meal. It’s such a great soup for these cold winter months curled up by the fire with a big loaf of bread to soak up all the extras. And it’s the perfect dish to bring to a get together or the Thanksgiving feast itself.
P.S., This makes a huge batch, there were 30 people at the party that had it as an appetizer and we still had leftovers.
I hope you enjoy this during the holiday season as much as I am, and happy almost Thanksgiving!
- 4 medium butternut squash
- 4 large carrots, chopped
- 1 large onion, peeled and chopped
- 1 whole head of garlic, peeled
- 4 stalks celery
- 4 cups vegetable stock (32 oz)
- 8 cups vegetable broth (64 oz)
- 1/4-1/2 cup almond milk
- Olive oil
- Salt
- Toppings (optional):
- Cilantro
- Cinnamon
- Green onion
- Sour cream
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
- Slice the butternut squash in half and scoop out the seeds. Cut off the ends where the seeds have been scooped out and fill the holes with garlic. Peel and cube the rest of the butternut squash. Place the garlic filled pieces face down on a baking sheet. Add the cubed butternut squash around it.
- Add the carrots and onion to the baking sheet on top of the butternut squash and drizzle with olive oil. Add a sprinkle of salt and bake for one hour, stirring the mixture halfway through. Set aside to cool.
- When the vegetables are done roasting, heat a few tablespoons of olive oil in a large stock pot over medium-high heat. Add the celery and cook for about a minute, until it is soft. Scoop the squash out of the skin and add it to the pot, with about half of the garlic, and then pour in the cubed butternut squash and the onions and carrots. Add the broth and stock, bring to a boil, and reduce the heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes.
- When done simmering, use an immersion blender to puree the soup and serve warm. Add salt to taste, toppings, and enjoy!
Oh yummm!!!! I just love soup this time of year.
♥ Heather
Me too! And this one’s delish!