Minoo selected a hearty winter soup recipe for the South Arm Community Kitchen. Squash is great for soup and they are in season in the winter. It is always good to eat produce in season for their freshness and cheap price.

his Butternut Squash Soup with Maple Walnuts is a recipe from Quebec. It is the maple syrup that distinguishes this soup from others.  You may serve this soup as an appetizer or a stand alone light lunch, You may substitute butternut squash with other winter squash like acorn squash, Kabocha squash, etc. You can also substitute the walnuts with other nuts like cashew or pecan.

Ingredients

Maple Walnuts for topping

• 1 cup (250ml) walnut pieces
• 2 tablespoons (30ml) maple syrup
• a pinch of cayenne pepper
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary
• salt to taste

Soup

• 2 teaspoons (10ml)  vegetable oil
• 1 large yellow onion, diced
• 2 pounds (1 kg) butternut squash, peeled and cubed (you can microwave it for 5 minutes to soften it for easier peeling)
• 1 1/2 cups (350ml) apple cider
• 2 cups (500ml) reduced sodium vegetable stock
• 1 teaspoon dried sage
• salt and pepper to taste
• cayenne pepper to taste, optional
• 1/3 cup (80ml) maple syrup, optional (we did not add this to the soup as the butternut squash is already sweet enough)

Source: this recipe is adapted from www.alive.com

Serves 6.

(more…)