Creamy Sweet Potato & Butternut Squash Soup

Talk about easy peasy lemon squeezy.  My husband kept saying “Wow, this is so good!” …little did he know it was one of most effortless meals I’ve prepared in a long, long time… but hey, I’ll still take the compliment!

This soup has some wonderful flavors going on – hints of fresh ginger, cayenne, and lemon (yes, lemon!)

This soup will definitely tingle those taste buds!

For the recipe…

Cooking level: Easy (as ever!)
Ingredients (serves 2)
1 med. butternut squash
1 lrg. sweet potato (I used the orange variety)
4 garlic cloves
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1 (1″) piece fresh ginger root, skin removed
1/8 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground cayenne
1/2 lemon, juiced
1.5 c. vegetable stock (+-)
1/2 tsp.  sea salt, + to taste
1/2 tsp. black pepper, + to taste
Handful fresh cilantro, for garnishing
Vegan parmesan, optional, for garnishing
Gluten-free croutons, optional, for garnishing

Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees. Take your butternut squash, slice off the top & bottom, and slice in half (vertically). De-seed your squash. On a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper, place your two butternut squash pieces flesh side down on the baking sheet (skin side up). At the same time,  pierce your sweet potato a few times with a knife, wrap it in foil, and place both the butternut squash and potato in the oven on the middle rack. Bake for 50-60 minutes, or until soft. Remove and cool for 3-5 min.

When your butternut squash and potato have finished cooking – scoop out the insides of 1 butternut squash section (keep the other half for later) and the entire inside of the sweet potato into your high-speed blender. In addition, add your ginger, garlic cloves, and 1 c. of stock – puree until smooth, adding more stock as needed. Once you’ve reached a creamy texture, place your soup on the stove in a medium-sized sauce pan. Bring to medium and add in your remaining ingredients (up until the garnishings). Adjust your seasonings and had more-or-less stock to thin out the soup (only if needed). Heat for 10 minutes. Once your soup is thoroughly heated, cut the remaining butternut squash section into small bite-sized pieces. Ladle your soup into bowls, top with the butternut squash pieces  and serve with a dusting of vegan parm, gluten-free croutons, freshly cracked pepper, and couple sprigs of fresh cilantro.

A few additional things to note — this soup is free of fat, around 300 calories per bowl, full of fiber, and the best yet — it is absolutely satisfying.