Butternut Squash Soup

I'm nearing the end of the Whole30 challenge, and I have to say, it's been interesting.  I have tried new foods, gone to bed hungry more than once and have not missed sugar at all, much to my surprise.

I whipped up a batch of Butternut Squash Soup on Thursday night - so I'd have something to take to the hospital with me on Friday.

I found the recipe here. I liked it quite well, even though it was a bit sweeter than I anticipated. Steve loved it, but then, he does have a world-class sweet tooth.

Step 1: roast veggies

Step 2: simmer with stock

Step...er....last: eat!

I tweaked the recipe a bit to make it Whole30-ish.

Savory Butternut Squash Soup

1 butternut squash; peeled, de-seeded, and cubed
2 carrots, cut in thick slices
1 med onion, cubed
2 gala apples, peeled, cored, and cubed
3 cloves of garlic
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 bay leaves
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp of dried sage
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp white pepper
1 cup almond milk
32 oz chicken stock

1/2 pound all natural sausage (optional - but I think it helped make this more of a main dish)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Toss squash, carrots, onion, apples, and garlic in large bowl with olive oil and the dried herbs. Spread them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or tin foil. Roast in oven for about 40 minutes, or until squash is tender and lightly browned. Remove from oven and place the vegetable mixture into a large soup pot over medium heat.

Add your chicken stock.  Simmer for 15 minutes and then remove the pot from the heat. I took the bay leaves out at this point. Working in 2-3 batches, puree the soup in a blender until smooth. You can add more chicken stock if the soup is too thick. Add cooked sausage (or ham or bacon or whatever) at this point. Stir in almond milk until thoroughly mixed and serve! This recipe made a lot of soup - so I ended up freezing about half of it. I hope it reheats well!