Butternut Squash and Apple Winter Soup

It's winter time, meaning soup is actually appealing for once. I've seen multiple recipes similar to this floating around pinterest, so I just adapted it to fit the broke and simple lifestyle of a college student and honestly wouldn't change it.

Prep time: 35 minutes (not including crock pot time)

Ingredients

·         1 medium butternut squash

·         1 cup of vegetable broth

·         1/2 cup of water

·         1 granny smith apple

·         ½ tsp of cinnamon

·         ½ tsp of nutmeg

·         ¼ cup of heavy whipping cream

·         1 tbsp coconut oil

·         2 tbsp of diced onion

·         Few basil leaves

·         Roasted squash seeds

·         Feta cheese

What to do

First, preheat your oven to 425 degrees. Cut the squash in half vertically and scoop out the seeds. Peel the apple, core it, and cut it into pieces. Melt 1 tablespoon of butter and brush it over the squash, then heavily sprinkle nutmeg and cinnamon over the squash and apple. Place the apple and squash (flesh side up) on a cooking sheet and roast them for 25 minutes (or until squash is soft).

While they are roasting, clean the seeds and cover them in cinnamon and nutmeg. Let them sit until the squash and apple are done, then roast them for 20 minutes.

Once the squash and apple are done, let them cool and the chop the squash into 1 inch (or smaller) cubes (peeling off the skin). After that, place the squash and apple in the crockpot. Add the vegetable broth, water, cinnamon, nutmeg, cream, oil, onion, and basil. Turn the crock put on low and let sit for 4-6 hours, mixing every other hour.

Finally, pour the soup into the blender and puree it (little by little). When it’s ready to serve, sprinkle the top with the roasted seeds, cinnamon, and feta cheese. I added a tiny bit of cream to each bowl and mixed it in just for aesthetic appeal. 

Please remember as you are buying ingredients to be mindful of where you are making your purchases and what they are supporting. I got my squash from a local farmers market, basil from a community garden, and everything else from sprouts or local markets.