Butternut Squash & Ginger Soup

Soup is one of my all time favorite "go to" dishes. It is super easy to make, clean up is a breeze, and you can make tons and freeze it for later. And soup is one of those dishes that just gets better tasting with age.

Oh, and it's healthy. Which works really well with my current "detox." Yes, it's true. I am detoxing. After moving across the world and enjoying many welcome home meals (and drinks) with family and friends, it is time to kick my body back into perfect functioning order. And that means a 14 day detox.  Now, I am not really one for diets and stuff like that, but this detox isn't a diet. It is supplying the body with whole, natural, easy to digest ingredients to allow the body to shift it's focus from digestion to a little internal clean up.

So, what does it mean? Well, in essence it means no salt, sugar, wheat, dairy (except yogurt), meat, poultry, alcohol, caffeine, or anything processed. And to be honest, the hardest part? Giving up coffee. I love the smell and the taste in the morning. And yes, I guess I could drink decaf, but I figure, if I am going to give it up, I might as well go all the way.

Okay, so back to soup. I wanted a soup that was healthy but also creamy and delicious. So, I chose butternut squash.

Butternut squash makes an incredibly delicious, creamy soup. When it is pureed, it becomes creamy and decadent and acts as a thickener. Now, since I am detoxing, I didn't use any salt in this recipe and I used water instead of stock. Of course, if you are not detoxing, you could use stock, or even if you are detoxing, you could make your own stock without salt. But I find water works just fine.

I also added a few other elements to make the soup flavorful and interesting. Ginger adds some heat, the honey complements the natural sweetness of the squash, and some herbs, just to give some flavor.

To be honest, this soup tasted fantastic. Detox or no detox. I would eat it anyday!

Butternut Squash & Ginger Soup

Makes about 8 cups

1 tbsp Canola Oil

4 cloves Garlic, minced

2 tbsp Fresh Ginger, chopped

1 large Onion, chopped

3 large stalks Celery, chopped

3 Carrots, chopped

1 Butternut Squash, seeded and cut into cubes

1 1/2 tbsp Italian Herbs

1 Bay Leaf

Water

1 tbsp Honey

Cracked Black Pepper to taste

In a large pot, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the garlic, ginger, onions, celery, carrots and cook until they start to soften, about 6 to 8 minutes. Stir in the butternut squash, Italian herbs, and bay leaf. Cook for another 5 minutes.

Add enough water to the pot to cover all the vegetables. Cover and cook for about 45 minutes, until all the veggies are soft.

Puree the soup using an immersion blender (or a regular blender). Stir in the honey and season with cracked pepper to taste.