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Holiday Soups

by Organic Spa Magazine

Here are our favorite soup recipes from Whole Food Cooking Every Day by James Beard Award-winning chef, Amy Chaplin, perfect for preparing in advance and feeding a hungry crowd.

Winter Squash Soup

Makes about 2½ quarts | Serves 6 | Base Recipe 

Ingredients 

  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin coconut oil
  • 1 medium (8 ounces) yellow onion, diced
  • 3 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • 2 teaspoons fine sea salt, plus more to taste
  • 1 large (4 pounds) kabocha, butternut, or other winter squash, halved, seeded, peeled, and cut into 1-inch cubes (about 10 cups)
  • 5 cups filtered water
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • Tamari (optional)

Instructions

Warm the oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook for 6 to 8 minutes, until beginning to brown. Stir in the garlic and salt and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, until the garlic is golden and fragrant. Add the squash and water (the water should come almost to the top of the chopped squash), raise the heat, and bring to a boil; then cover the pot, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 12 to 15 minutes, until the squash is tender. Test by pressing a piece of squash against the side of the pot; it should crush easily with a little pressure. Remove from the heat, season with pepper to taste, and set aside to cool slightly. 

Working in batches, scoop the soup into an upright blender (filling it no more than two-thirds full) and puree on high speed until smooth and velvety, then pour into a large bowl or another large pot. Season to taste with more salt and pepper, and with tamari, if using, and serve warm. Store leftover soup in jars in the fridge for up to 5 days, or freeze for up to 3 months.

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Rosemary Butternut Squash Soup with Toasted-Hazelnut Milk

Makes about 3½ quarts | Serves 8

Ingredients 

  • 1 recipe Winter Squash Soup, using butternut squash
  • 3 tablespoons (¹/₃ ounce) chopped fresh rosemary
  • ²/₃ cup (3 ounces) raw hazelnuts, toasted and skinned, plus more for garnish
  • 2 cups filtered water
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • Extra-virgin olive oil for drizzling

Instructions

Make the soup following the instructions for the base recipe, adding the rosemary along with the garlic and continuing as directed. While the soup cooks, put the hazelnuts and water in an upright blender and blend until smooth; pour into a jar and set aside. Once the soup is blended, stir in the hazelnut milk and season to taste with more salt and pepper. Serve the soup topped with chopped hazelnuts, pepper, and a drizzle of olive oil.


Enjoy!

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