Souper Food
Roasted Butternut Maple Soup
A perfect blend of roasted butternut squash, apple and a touch of maple syrup. A smooth and flavourful soup that is ideal for a cool autumn day. Butternut squash is very high in antioxidants, an excellent source of Vitamin A & C, a rich source of dietary fibre and Vitamin E.
INGREDIENTS
3 small ( 2 c. cooked) butternut squash
½ medium (2 c.) leeks, sliced (white and light green parts only)
3 garlic cloves, sliced
2 small (2 c.) sweet potato, peeled and chopped 1 celery stalk, sliced
6-8 (2 tbsp.) Sage leaves, chopped fine
1 medium apple, peeled and chopped
5-6 c. no sodium chicken or vegetable stock salt and pepper to taste
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. ginger pinch of cayenne (optional)
4 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 c. (your choice) of cream, milk or coconut milk
2 tbsp. maple syrup
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 400 F, slice squash in half, remove seeds (save and roast for garnish if desired). Drizzle with a little olive oil,and salt. Place squash cut side down on a baking tray and roast for 40-45 min.until soft. Remove from oven, allow to cool slightly prior to scooping out squash from its skin.
In a large pot, add 2 tbsp of olive oil, leeks, garlic, sweet potato and celery. Saute and cook for approximately 10-15 min. on medium heat until vegetable becomes soft. Add apple and sage and cook for another 5 min.
Add stock to pot, bring to a gentle boil, until all the vegetable is cooked. Reduce heat, add cooked squash and seasonings. Continue cooking on medium heat for 20-30 min.
Remove pot from heat. Allow mixture to cool enough before pureeing in batches, in a food processor. Puree until smooth, add more stock to thin out if necessary.
Strain soup with a fine mesh sieve and use the back of a ladle to remove any fibrous vegetable strands. This final step gives the soup a smooth consistency.
Return soup to pot, simmer on med-low heat. Add maple syrup and cream just before serving ( careful not to boil cream over as it may separate). Bring soup to desired serving temperature. Ladle into bowls and garnish with cream and/or roasted seeds.
