Seasonal eating provides you with the freshest foods, better flavor and more nutrients. Buying seasonally also supports local farmers and can help to stretch your food budget. Fall is my favorite time of year to hit up the local farmer’s market and I never leave without purchasing a huge amount of squash. With a pleasant nutty flavor and mildly sweet taste, butternut squash is typically my squash of choice. Not only is butternut squash super tasty, but it also offers a variety of nutritional benefits: butternut squash is an excellent source of vitamin A and is rich in potassium, folic acid, magnesium, and omega 3s.
If you’re a fan of Panera Bread’s Autumn Squash Soup, you’re going to love my version! My Autumn Squash Soup is made way healthier, vegan and Paleo, but it’s just as creamy and delicious as the original.
Autumn Squash Soup
Makes 4 servings of about 1.5 cups each
Ingredients
- 4 cups of peeled and cubed butternut squash, roasted
- 1 large apple, peeled, cored and cubed (I used a Honeycrisp. If you want your soup less sweet, you may want to use a Granny Smith.)
- 1/2 of a large yellow onion, diced
- 1 tbsp. coconut oil
- 1/2 to 1 teaspoon curry powder *I actually used 2 teaspoons of curry and loved the way the soup turned out, but I’ve had several readers comment that the curry was a little too strong. You may want to start with 1/2 teaspoon and add more to desired taste.
- 3.5 cups vegetable broth
- 1/2 cup almond milk (I used unsweetened vanilla almond milk.)
- 1 tsp salt + a few extra dashes
- a few dashes of cinnamon
Instructions
Roast cubed butternut squash that has been seasoned with cinnamon and salt for 30 mins at 425 degrees F.
Meanwhile, in a large skillet over med-high heat, sauté apple and onion in coconut oil with curry powder and a few dashes of salt for about 10 mins and until softened.
Add broth, milk, and squash to the large skillet with the apple and onion and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for about 20 mins. Stir in salt to taste. I used 1 tsp of salt.
Use an immersion blender or transfer soup to a high-speed blender or food processor and blend until soup is smooth and creamy.
Enjoy with crusty bread or a grilled cheese!
Hop over to the original recipe post, at Hungry Healthy Girl, for the nutritional information.
If you enjoy butternut squash as much as I do, check out a few other butternut squash recipes from me and fellow FitFluential Ambassadors!
Roasted Butternut Squash Hummus from The Healthy Maven
Slow Cooker Butternut Squash Apple Chili from Clean Eating Veggie Girl
Fall is Coming Salad from Delights and Delectables
Butternut Squash Black Bean Chili from Hungry Healthy Girl
Something to think about….
Do you find yourself eating seasonally?
What is your favorite type of Fall or Winter produce?
Are you a butternut squash fan? What is your favorite way to eat it?
