Holiday Butternut Squash Soup

By: Carolyn Scott of The Healthy Voyager

Holiday Butternut Squash Soup is one of the best vegetarian Thanksgiving recipes to give to non-turkey eaters or just to balance the heavy meal. A butternut squash soup recipe is one of those perfect make-ahead Thanksgiving squash recipes.

Ingredients

1 butternut squash
1 large yam
1 onion
1 leek
10 cups vegetable stock
4 large red potatoes, cubed (soaked and drained)
1 large yam, cubed (soaked and drained)
1 can chickpeas (drained and soaked)
4 tablespoons maple syrup
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 to 1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Cut squash in half and remove seeds.
Rub inside of both squash halves with oil and roast for 45 minutes.
Roast whole bulb of garlic for 30 minutes.
Add oil to pot and turn burner to low.
Julienne onion, dice leek, and add to pot.
Cook on low for as long as possible without burning, 15 to 30 minutes.
Cube yam and potatoes and place in a bowl of water. Soak for 10 minutes to remove starch.
Once onions have caramelized, add vegetable stock to pot. Add potatoes and yam.
Rinse and soak chickpeas in water for 10 minutes and bring soup to a boil.
Drain and add chickpeas. Add salt, pepper, cinnamon, and maple syrup.
When garlic has finished roasting, peel it and add to soup.
When butternut squash has finished roasting, scoop squash from peel into the soup.
Simmer soup for 30 minutes or until potatoes and yam are soft. Stir occasionally.
Remove from heat and blend soup in the pot with a hand blender. Once smooth and creamy, let soup cook for a few more minutes.
Add more maple syrup, salt, and pepper if needed. To make it spicy, add 1/ 8 to 1/4 teaspoon of cayenne pepper.
Serve with garlic toast and garnish with a sprinkle of cayenne, parsley, or both.