Bellisima Cucina–Creamy Butternut Squash and Apple Soup

This recipe comes from my Whole Foods Diet Cookbook by Ivy Ingram Larson and Andrew Larson, M.D. This book contains lots of wonderful information–it’s a great resource. The first 89 pages are filled with information to help you understand why a whole foods diet is so important and what it means. There’s great information on nutrition, processed foods, the types of ingredients to use and much more. The Larsons recommend a flexitarian diet. A flexitarian is an omnivore who primarily eats a plant-based diet but still eats moderate-sized helpings of land and sea animal.

This soup recipe is part of the four recipes included for a Thanksgiving Day dinner. I will be posting each of these four recipes in anticipation of Thanksgiving. Bon apetito!

CREAMY BUTTERNUT SQUASH AND APPLE SOUP
Serves 8

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 large red onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
4 cups diced Granny Smith apple (keep the skins on)
4 cups prepared organic vegetable broth
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon cardamom
12 ounces frozen butternut squash, thawed
2 cups organic grass-fed 2 percent low-fat milk, divided
1-2 tablespoons brown sugar
Unrefined sea salt, to taste
White pepper, to taste

Heat the oil in a large soup pot. Add the onion, garlic, and ginger, and saute over medium-low heat until golden, 8-10 minutes. Add the apples, broth, and spices. Bring to a simmer, then cover and simmer gently until the apples are soft, about 10 minutes.

In a food processor, puree the thawed squash with 1/2 cup of milk until completely smooth. Transfer to a bowl. Transfer the apple-onion mixture to the food processor and puree. Return mixture to the soup pot and add the squash puree; stir together. Add the remaining milk, using a bit more if the puree is too thick.

Bring the soup to a gentle simmer, then cook over low heat until well heated through, 5-10 minutes. Add the sugar and season with salt and white pepper to taste. Serve at once, or let the soup stand off the heat for 1-2 hours, then heat through as needed before serving.