Butternut Squash Soup With All the Trimmings!

What better way to commemorate the first snowfall of the year in Whitehorse than to cozy up with a nice soup?

Butternut squash soup is my absolute favourite, here is my tried and true recipe.

Step 1: Ingredients

My soup is never the same twice - but my basic squash soup always includes:

• Butternut squash;
• Ginger;
• Garlic;
• Oil (I use coconut, but anything works);
• Onion;
• Vegetable stock or salt;
• Pepper;
• Hot sauce.

Toppings make the soup. Be inventive, but definitely try:

• Sauteed green onions;
• Sauteed mushrooms;
• Roasted pumpkin seeds;
• Plain yogurt.

Step 2: Soup

1. Chop the onion, garlic, and ginger and put them in a large pot with a bit of oil (photo 1);
2. Saute these first three ingredients on low/medium heat;
3. Chop the butternut squash. I made an instructable for my best method here;
4. Add the squash to the onion, garlic, and spices (photo 2);
5. Add 1-2 cups of water;
6. Allow to simmer for about 20 minutes;
7. When the squash is soft enough to be squished against the side of the pot by the wooden spoon, season the soup. Here I've used pepper, vegetable stock, and hot sauce (photo 3);
8. Blend the soup using a hand-held blender (photo 4).

Step 3: The Trimmings

My 3 favourite trimmings for butternut squash soup are:

1. Plain yogurt;
2. Sauteed green onions and mushrooms;
3. Roasted pumpkin seeds.

Ladle the soup into a bowl, pile on the trimmings, and ENJOY!