Butternut Squash Soup with Fresh Cilantro Recipe

Winter is a great time for warm and hearty soups. This recipe calls for butternut squash, the hard squash that is readily available in the fall and winter, and looks like a large, smooth-skinned peanut.

Butternut squash is an excellent source of vitamin C and beta carotene, both of which are antioxidants that can help to protect your cells against free radical damage.

If you have a healthy digestive tract and regularly eat foods that contain healthy fat, beta carotene from butternut squash can convert to vitamin A, which is an important nutrient for your immune system.

Ingredients:

1 large butternut squash
4 tablespoons of olive oil
1 large yellow onion, sliced
2 cups of water or vegetable broth
Large handful of cilantro, roughly chopped
Sea salt and black pepper, to taste
A few drops of vanilla extract

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Rub the butternut squash with about 2 tablespoons of olive oil, then place it in a shallow roasting dish to bake for one hour. After it is finished roasting, let it cool enough for you to comfortably work with it.

Slice the roasted squash in half. Use a spoon to scoop out seeds and remove the peel. Put starchy flesh into a large bowl and mash it well.

Heat remaining olive oil in a medium to large-sized pot. Cook onions in oil over medium heat for about 5 minutes or until onions are tender and translucent. Add mashed butternut squash and cook together with onions for another couple of minutes, stirring the squash and onions together.

Add water or vegetable broth to the mix, bring to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer for 20-30 minutes.

Transfer entire soup, in batches if necessary, into a food processor or blender and process until it becomes creamy and smooth. Transfer processed soup back to pot, then add vanilla, sea salt, and black pepper. Give it a good stir to incorporate vanilla and seasoning.

Just before serving, scatter chopped fresh cilantro over each bowl. If you enjoy avocado, add a few avocado slices to the top of each bowl just before adding cilantro.

Please note: This recipe is a modified version of one found in an excellent recipe book called Fresh and Fast Vegan Pleasures

Please note: As long as you don't use salt or vanilla extract, this recipe is suitable for the Full Body Cleanse program.