Apple-Butternut Sqaush Soup
You’ll love this slightly sweet and oh-so creamy apple and butternut squash soup that’s perfect for cold weather days and nights. I found the recipe in a Costco magazine years ago, and with just a couple of tweaks, I made it a vegan soup, without losing an ounce of flavor. Best of all, this soup is fairly hands free, once you’ve got all of the chopping out of the way.
Ingredient Tips
As usual, I suggest that you use fresh and organic ingredients, if possible. And, if you have a juicer, I recommend that you make your own apple juice, which is a required ingredient in this vegan soup recipe. Bottled juice is nothing more than soda in disguise, as many of the nutrients are lost within a short period of time after juicing, due to natural oxidation (the reason your apple turns brown after you cut it). In addition, fruit and vegetable juice that comes in a bottle is pasteurized at high temperatures and often contains additives. The harmful toxins and the bacteria killing method is used in an effort to extend shelf life and keep the product from spoiling. While that may seem like a good thing, the excessive exposure to heat kills the beneficial nutrients normally found in fresh fruits and vegetables, essentially making the bottled juice nothing more than sugar water. Having said that, if you really don’t have time to make your own juice, or you don’t own a juicer, at least opt for organic apple juice in a bottle, to avoid the cancer causing, genetically modified version of this fruit and try to find a brand that uses a BPA free bottle, as BPA is another known carcinogen.
What Makes This A Disease Fighting Soup?
While full of flavor and creamy in texture, this vegan soup is incredibly healthy and packs a disease fighting punch, thanks to the 3 main ingredients:
Onions are a nutritional powerhouse, due to the high levels of polyphenols contained in this versatile vegetable. Rich in the phytochemical, quercetin, studies show that onions reduce systemic inflammation in the body, and protect against cancers of the breast, prostate, colon, rectum, larynx, esophagus, ovaries, and endometrium. Quercetin is also believed to act as a natural antihistimine, helping with allergic reactions. In addition to phytochemicals, onions contain sulfur compounds. These 2 components help to reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke. In particular, allyl disulphide has been shown to increase the release of nitric oxide in the blood, whereby reducing blood pressure, inhibiting clot formation, and softening otherwise stiff blood vessels. Onions are also known for their antimicrobial, antibacterial, and antifungal properties, as well as their ability to regulate the gut flora balance needed for proper digestion and a strong immune system, by increasing your population of healthy gut bacteria.
Apples have been proven to reduce bad cholesterol and increase good cholesterol levels, whereby reducing your risk of stroke and heart attack. And like onions, apples contain quercetin, an antioxidant that has been proven to protect your body against the oxidative stress that can lead to neurological disorders such as Alzheimer’s and dementia, as well as offering the protections listed in the previous paragraph. Another similarity between apples and onions, is their shared ability to maintain healthy gut bacteria levels, which is the first line of defense of your immune system and protects you against everything from obesity to disease. In fact, apples, more than any other fruit, have the highest level of bio-available antioxidants, with studies showing that apples greatly reduce your risk of developing cancer.
Butternut squash, like apples and onions, are a great source of disease fighting antioxidants, and like all yellow and orange vegetables, butternut squash contains Beta Carotene. This particular antioxidant is well known for reducing asthma symptoms, decreasing colon and prostate cancer risk, as well as improving vision and reducing your likelihood of developing macular degeneration. As with all fruits and vegetables, squash contains high amounts of fiber, which promotes regularity and lowers your risk for type 2 diabetes and systemic inflammation.
Save Time And Buy Your Ingredients Online:
- 1 Tbsp Vegan Butter (I recommend Earth Balance brand)
- 1 Tbsp Olive Oil
- 3 Large Onions, Finely Chopped
- 1 tsp Chipotle Chili Powder
- 2 Lbs Butternut Squash, Peeled and Cut Into Chunks
- 1 Lb Apples, Peeled and Cut Into Chunks (Honeycrisp, Gala or Ginger Gold recommended)
- 1 C Apple Juice
- 1 C Faux Chicken Broth or Vegetable Broth
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 1/2 tsp Ground Black Pepper
- Pecans, Toasted or Raw (optional)
- Heat butter and olive oil in large saucepan, over medium heat
- Add onions and chipotle powder and stir together. Saute until onions are tender and translucent (approx 10 mins)
- Add squash, apples, apple juice, broth, salt, and pepper and bring to a boil.
- Cover, reduce heat to low, and cook until apples and squash are soft. (approx 30 mins)
- Puree with an immersion blender, high speed blender, standard blender or food processor, then pour back into the saucepan and return to a simmer before serving into bowls and garnishing with optional pecans.
- If using anything other than a high speed blender (ie: Vitamix or Blendtec), allow the soup to cool slightly, before blending.
- If using anything other than an immersion blender, it will be necessary to work in small batches and pour the blended soup into a separate container until all of the contents of the saucepan have been blended.
