Butternut Squash Soup

Credit: Courtesy Breast Friends

A good butternut squash soup should be flavourful and rich

Nothing beats a wholesome, homemade soup. This savoury and sweet butternut squash really satisfies

Be more adventurous! Never tried butternut, hubbard or acorn squash? Once each month, put a fresh food into your shopping cart that you haven’t tried before: a vegetable such as eggplant or red chard, a grain like quinoa or spelt, a fresh herb like cilantro or Italian parsley, a fruit such as pomello, mangosteen, or simply a different variety of local apple or pear.

Experimenting with fresh whole foods, prepared in a creative, healthy way, will remind you that food is fun!

Ingredients:

• 6 cups butternut squash, cubed and peeled
• 3 ½ cups organic chicken stock
• 1 ½ cups onions, chopped                         
• 1 bay leaf                                         
• ½ teaspoon nutmeg                                   
• unrefined salt and pepper
• Optional: 1 cup organic plain yogurt

Instructions:

1. In a large saucepan, combine squash, stock, onions and bay leaf. Bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer for about

20 minutes, or until squash is tender. Remove bay leaf.

2. In blender, purée soup in batches until smooth.

3. Return to pan and reheat if necessary. Season with nutmeg and salt and pepper

to taste.

4. To serve, ladle into soup bowls. Swirl 2 tablespoons yogurt or coconut milk into each. (Soup can be cooled and frozen for up for 2 months; thaw and reheat.)

Makes 8 servings, each about ¾ cup.

For this book’s healthy recipes, Breast Friends teamed up with InspireHealth, a not-for-profit organization and leader in integrative cancer care, with three centres in BC and an online program. InspireHealth promotes healthy lifestyle including nutrition, exercise, support groups and stress management while supporting standard cancer treatments.