Butternut Squash Jalapeno Soup

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That's kind of a strange color for butternut squash soup, huh?

Well that's because it's got jalapeno and sage added to it.

I may have overdone the jalapeno a bit, thus the extra green color, but the flavor is really nice.

I didn't used to like soups like this. My favorite soups feature meat (usually ham or bacon) and it was kind of a hard sell for me to embrace this fully vegan soup. The turning point for me was that roasting the squash was so easy. It's the kind of thing you can throw in a pan in five minutes, with any number of herbs and spices, and then just put in the oven and forget about it for an hour or so. Once it's cooked and cooled all you have to do it scrape the meat out of the skin of the squash and puree all the good bits from the bottom of the roasting pan.

For this version, I roasted the jalapenos right alongside the squash. The only issue with that is that they don't get as crunchy as they do when I pan fry them, so there wasn't anything to use as garnish in the end. To thicken the soup, I used almonds and almond milk, but if you have any kind of problem with nuts, just leave them out, it's plenty thick on it's own.

Best of all, this is completely vegan and gluten free. For those of you who are trying hard to get back on the right track post-New Year's celebrations, give this soup a try.

Butternut Squash Soup with Jalapeno and Sage

serves 4

Ingredients:

  • 1 large Butternut squash, cut in half lengthwise, seeds removed
  • 2 Jalapeno peppers, cut into rings (remove the seeds if you want to avoid too much spice)
  • 1 Shallot, diced
  • 1 small Red Onion, diced
  • 4 sprigs Sage, shredded
  • 2 cloves Garlic, peeled but not chopped
  • 4 Tbsps Olive Oil
  • Salt and Pepper to taste
  • 10 Almonds (optional)
  • 1/8 cup Almond Milk (optional)

Method:

  • Preheat oven to 425 degrees
  • Position the squash cut side up in a roasting pan large enough to fit both halves of the butternut squash without them touching.
  • Place the sage and garlic in the cavity of the squash.
  • Add some of the olive oil and salt and pepper.
  • Flip over the squash. You may need to move the garlic and herbs a bit to get them to fit back into the cavity no that the squash is skin side up.
  • Place the jalapenos, onions and shallots in between the two halves of the squash.
  • Drizzle remainder of olive oil over the top of all the ingredients.
  • Roast everything for 40 minutes to an hour, depending on the size of the squash, until a knife easily goes through the meat.
  • Once the squash is cool, scrape out the meat.
  • Take everything left in the roasting pan and the meat of the squash and place them in a food processor. Add the almonds and almond milk (optional).
  • Pulse until the texture you desire is reached.

Enjoy!