All Hallows and butternut squash soup

One thing I love about Halloween in the States (as well as the fantastic house decorations) is pumpkins. New York magazine posted a great guide to squash, detailing varieties I had no idea existed. I hope to make something with acorn squash before the season ends since I don’t think I’ve ever tried it. Squash is a great source of antioxidants, Vitamin A and has been shown to have anti-inflammatory properties. I decided to make a more traditional butternut squash soup on Saturday, to warm me from the cold icy rain and snow. I still can’t quite believe it snowed in October in New York! I took a recipe for Ginger Buttnernut Squash Soup and edited slightly adding carrots and replacing the chicken stock with vegetable. This recipe is really easy and made even easier by a trick of the trade. Instead of cutting squash raw, which is hard work, I pierced the skin of the squash and put them in the oven for 1 hour to cook and soften before chopping and adding to the soup.

Ingredients:

• 2 butternut squash
• 3 carrots, chopped
• 2 onions, chopped
• 1 vegetable stock cube
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 tbsp brown sugar
• cinnamon
• ginger

Directions:

• Pierce skin of squash with a knife and place on oven shelf for 1 hour on high heat.
• Cook chopped onions, ginger, sugar and crushed garlic in a little olive oil with cinnamon for about 10 minutes until onion is tender.
• Add vegetable stock with around 5 cups of water, squash and carrots and bring to boil.
• Simmer for about 10 minutes and then blend.
• Serve with chopped parsley and no fat Greek yoghurt.