Sweet butternut squash is slowing cooked with onions, garlic carrots and celery until caramelized and then simmered with a rich vegetable stock to create this dairy free creamy soup.

It is a good thing we like soup, and we hope you like it as well, because we will be eating it all week.  We are approaching the end of our “detox” month and while we have cheated (ourselves) a couple times by having a glass of wine as well as a margarita, overall we have done a pretty good job!   We have some good soups planned and are sure you will love them!

I love making butternut squash soup as you can get a creamy texture without adding any dairy.  I made a batch of a traditional butternut squash soup that we like – full of carrots, celery, onions, garlic – but then I swirled a sorrel paste through it, right  before serving I sprinkled a generous dusting of Ezpeletako Bipera (Basque Paprika) over the top, for added flavor and color.  It was …… amazing.

Recipe:  Butternut Squash Soup with Sorrel and Ezpeletako Bipera

1 medium butternut squash, peeled and chopped

1/4 of a yellow onion, peeled and chopped

4 carrots, scrubbed, chopped

4 celery ribs, chopped

2 garlic cloves, smashed (i leave the paper on, it blends up in the food processor)

3 tablespoons olive oil

4 cups veggie stock

1 small bunch sorrel

sea salt to taste

Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a medium saucepan.  Add the onion, celery, carrots and butternut squash.  Cook for about 15 – 25 minutes over low heat, until lightly caramelized.  Add the stock, bring to a medium boil, cover and lower heat to a low simmer.  Cook for 30 minutes.  While the soup is simmering, heat remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a small pan, add sorrel and cook for about 3 minutes.  Put the sorrel in a food processor, give a whirl and add the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil, pulse until smooth, set aside in a small bowl.  When the soup is finished cooking, in small batches (as it will be very hot) puree it until smooth.  Pour back into your saucepan and gently warm for about 3 minutes.  To serve, pour soup into bowl and swirl a tablespoon of the sorrel mixture into the soup and then sprinkle the ezpeletako bipera over the top.  Serve.  Eat.