Fall is here and that means all the squash is, too!

I love fall flavors, and this soup is a great mix of (mostly) local ingredients perfect for this time of year. The squash is already deliciously sweet this time of year, and the apple or pear add another dimension of sweetness and creaminess. The coconut milk adds texture without any dairy, another beautiful layer or creaminess. Yum! I wish I had some more to eat right now!

Top with some sweet and spicy pumpkin seeds for textural and color contrast.

Butternut Squash Soup

• 5 cups chopped butternut squash
• 2.5 cups coconut milk (from the can, not the watery stuff in the box – this is the stuff you would make curry with)
• 2.5 cups water
• 1 onion (optional – leave it out to keep this recipe low FODMAP)
• 1 tbs chopped ginger
• 1 ripe pear or apple (about 1 cup)
• 1 tbs ras el hanout* or other mix of warming spices like cinnamon, cumin, coriander, cardamom, ginger and allspice, or a blend like garam masala.
• salt to taste
• 1 tbs coconut oil

Ras el hanout is a Moroccan spice blend that literally means head of the shop. It’s a combination of spices, somewhat like a curry, chosen by the head of the shop. I bought a bunch of them in Morocco and each one is totally unique. It usually has some combination of spices like cardamom, cumin, coriander, cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger. It’s a fun one to play with!

Steps:

1. Heat coconut oil in soup pot. Add diced onion and a pinch of salt and saute until translucent (about 5 minutes).
2. Add ginger and spices and cook for 2 minutes.
3. Add chopped butternut squash (you can leave the peel on to save time and add fiber!)
4. Add coconut milk and water, bring to a boil and then reduce heat to a simmer.
5. Add the apple or pear after about 10 minutes.
6. Cook an additional 5 minutes, until squash and fruit is soft.
7. Blend. Taste for salt.

Spiced Pumpkin Seeds

• 1 cup pumpkin seeds
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• pinch of salt
• pinch of cayenne

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Mix ingredients and place on a baking sheet with parchment paper.
3. Bake for about 15 minutes. Let cool and then brake up the pieces.

(Thanks to Olivia from the Natural Gourmet Institute for the inspiration for the pumpkin seeds!)