Winter Squash Soup
I’ve officially decided to announce soup season as the days grow shorter and cooler. I love hunkering down on a rainy day with a warm bowl of soup.
Here’s my latest recipe — and keep an eye out for my upcoming soup lineup featuring some of my past favorites.
The two things I love most about this soup (besides how wonderfully simple it is) are:
It can be made with almost any winter squash — Butternut, Sugar Pumpkin, Red or Green Kabocha, or Red Kuri. (No need to peel the Kabocha or Kuri squash!)
It’s endlessly adaptable — open your fridge and toss in whatever veggies you have on hand: leeks, onions, garlic, turnips, sweet potatoes, celery, fennel, carrots, and more.
This soup is vegan when made with water or vegetable broth, but I especially love it with chicken bone broth for a bit more depth and nutrition. Making a double batch ensures you have a quick and nourishing meal ready to go — just reheat and serve with a side salad.
It’s rich in vitamins and minerals, and I’m proud to say my whole family enjoys it. Garnish with toasted pumpkin seeds and a drizzle of pumpkin seed oil — perfect for the cozy Fall and Winter months.
Gather
2 leeks (white parts), cut into small half moons, be sure to wash
1 small bulb fennel, diced
3 ribs celery, diced
1 yellow onion, diced
1 small winter squash, cut into bite size pieces
3 tablespoons olive oil
Water, to cover the pumpkin
Salt
Pepper
Small pinch of nutmeg powder
Ume vinegar (optional)
Make
In a large soup pot, heat of the olive oil over medium heat. Add the leeks, fennel, celery, and onion. Cook, stirring often until the onions are translucent and the other veggies are soft, about 10 minutes. Add the winter squash and cover with water. Cover and allow to simmer 40 minutes, stirring occasional.
Turn off heat and uncover and allow to cool for a few minutes.
Transfer in batches to a high speed blender. You can use an immersion hand blender directly into the pot but it won’t become velvety smooth like it does in a blender. Up to you. Return to the pot and add the salt and pepper to taste as well as the nutmeg and Ume vinegar if you are using. Reheat and serve and garnish in individual bowls.
