This year is feeling colder than usual, so we thought you’d enjoy this soup recipe to warm you up. Butternut squash is plentiful this time of the year. If you haven’t tried butternut squash before, this soup recipe will be like a new friend that gives a really good hug. Butternut squash is a great source of Vitamin A and C. A cup of squash has about 29.4 mg of vitamin C. That’s almost 50% of the recommended daily value.

Smooth Butternut Bisque (Makes 8-10 cups)

4 cups raw butternut squash, chopped (1 x ½ in) (about 2-3lbs squash)

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil 

3 cups chopped onion (1 medium-large onion)

1 ½ teaspoon salt

1 ½ teaspoon curry powder

1 tablespoon freshly crushed garlic

1 tablespoon freshly minced ginger

¼-½ teaspoon Tabasco sauce

2 cups water

2 cans (12-ounce) tomato juice (3 cups)

1 cup of half and half

Directions:

1. Cook squash: Cut the squash lengthwise, scoop out seeds, and rub cut sides with olive oil. Place cut sides down in a shallow baking pan and roast at 400°F for about an hour, or until soft when you post the thickest part with a knife. When cool, scrape the squash out of its skin.

2. Heat oil in a 5-quart soup pot over medium-high heat and add onions, curry powder, and salt. Sauté 10-15 minutes or until onion is soft. Add garlic and sauté another two minutes.

3. Stir in ginger, Tabasco, water, and cooked squash. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 15 minutes.

4. Add tomato juice and half-and-half. To purée soup: if using immersion blender purée directly in the pot. If using a food processor list to cool before puréeing into batches. Bring back to simmer and serve with a sprinkle of fresh chopped cilantro.

If you liked this recipe, you might enjoy the rest of the cookbook. This recipe comes from Dr. Miles Hassel and Mea Hassel’s cookbook, Good Food Great Medicine. Let us know what you think.