This recipe is definitely my latest favorite. Simple, delicious and free of all my known trigger foods. Enjoy!
1 medium butternut squash
2-3 carrots
1 medium sweet potato
6 cups your favorite stock
2 tablespoons cumin
1 tablespoon curry powder (again, pick your favorite)
Start by coring and then slicing the squash so that it can be roasted. (The smaller the pieces the more quickly they will cook. I usually slice mine into 1" rounds, halving the ones from the base to they are 1/2 circles, they cook to the center more rapidly this way.) Peeling is optional.
Place the sliced squash onto a cookie sheet and bake at 375 C for approximately an hour. You want the squash to be nice and soft all the way through and just starting to caramelize.
Slice the sweet potato and bake as per the squash (usually for about 30 minutes.)
While your other veggies are baking you can prepare your broth and spices, setting them to simmer and you can prep the carrots. Peeling is again necessary and the smaller your slices the quicker they will cook.
Once the squash and sweet potato are baked add them along with the carrots to the broth mixture and continue to simmer until carrots are fully cooked and squash/sweet potato start to fall apart (30 mins +).
Once everything is soft puree using an immersion blender (best kitchen investment I have ever made) or very carefully using a food processor or traditional blender.
Once the mixture is smooth, or as smooth as you like it it is ready to be served. Or you can allow it to cool in the refrigerator and portion it up and freeze it for quick, ready made meals for the days when you don't feel up to being in the kitchen.
Notes - The recipe works great as above, these are just a few things I've learnt from tweaking the recipe over the years.
1. The ratio of carrots to squash to sweet potato really doesn't matter. Depending what flavors you like you can add more or less of any of the vegetables.
2. If you like a milder soup add less, or even no spice. The flavor of the vegetables works well on its own as well.
3. If using a commercial broth consider using 1/2 water, 1/2 broth. This significantly lowers the sodium content and still tastes great! I know vegetable and chicken work well, I haven't tried beef.
4. To make things simpler you can cook the squash and the sweet potato at the same time. Watch to be sure it doesn't burn and just simmer a little bit longer if the squash is not quite cooked. Or you can forgo the baking all together and just simmer all the vegetables for a long time. I've never tried this and I imagine you would lose some of the caramel flavor but it should work just fine.
5. If once you start blending the soup you find it is too think for your liking simply add more water or broth. If you are freezing I find that it comes out much thicker than when it went in so consider making a thinner soup or be prepared to thin it out once you have defrosted it.
6. If you do not have an immersion blender be VERY careful when pureeing the soup. I have had the lids of blenders come off more than once and this soup BURNS if it spills while still hot.
7. You really can't over cook the veggies in this recipe, at least not once they're in the pot so feel free to let it simmer as long as convenient for you. I have been known to let it sit on low for hours when I've been unexpectedly knocked down for the count.
8. This recipe doubles, triples, etc. very easily and freezes great.
9. For a more substantial but still simple meal on those not so good days we all know happen I have been known to add this to whole grain, or even white rice. Make it whatever consistency will work for you.
10. To add some protein this recipe could also be thinned and creamed up more with your favorite milk (nuts, soy, coconut, ...).
Bon Appetite!