Creamy Butternut + Beetroot Soup

This soup is super luxurious and incredibly nutritious! I love nothing more than a warming bowl of plant-based goodness, especially at this time of year. I’ve been making my Green Goodness soup so much throughout winter but fancied switching up the flavour and nutrients to keep my gut bugs on their toes.

Packed with gorgeous ingredients offering iron, potassium, beta-carotene plus pre-biotic fibres.

Beetroot is also fantastic for naturally supporting healthy blood pressure due to the high levels of dietary nitrate (NO3), which the body then converts into bio-active nitrite (NO2) and nitric oxide (NO) which relaxes and dilates blood vessels – research has shown a lowered risk of CVD with consumption of dietary nitrates, particularly with other components found in whole vegetables which work synergistically to offer protection. An inexpensive and tasty way to offer support your health, huh?

This soup is super creamy and smooth in consistency without the presence of cream/milk sort – perfect for those who are sensitive or allergic to dairy.

I love to prepare a big batch of soup, store it in a large class container and portion it out for weekday lunches or to have as a warming snack.

You could also optionally add collagen peptides which increase the protein content of the soup without changing the flavour or texture. I use Vital Proteins for this.

DF | GF | V

Ingredients:

1 large sized butternut squash, scrubbed and chopped into cubes (leave skin on)

2 large beets, scrubbed and chopped into cubes (leave skin on)

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

salt and pepper

3 garlic cloves

1 large red onion

2 tsp cumin seeds

1 tsp ground coriander

1/2-1 tsp chilli flakes, depending on spice preference

1 large handful of fresh coriander (feel free to include the stalks) chopped

1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

1 litre organic veg stock

Method:

Set the oven to 190. In a large roasting tray, add 1 tbsp olive oil and the chopped squash and beetroot. Ensure the veggies are coated in the oil well and add a sprinkle of sea salt and black pepper. Roast for 35 minutes. 10 mins before the veg is ready, prepare the onion and garlic by chopping into cubes and set aside for a few minutes. In a large saucepan (big enough for the entire soup to be made in), turn the heat to a medium temperature and add the remaining tbsp of olive oil. Dry fry the spices for 1 min and then add the onion and garlic, stirring intermittently for 5 mins until soft. Transfer the roasted veg into the saucepan with the spices and mix well, turning to a low heat. Make up 1 litre of veg stock and add it to the saucepan along with the balsamic vinegar and fresh coriander. Simmer on a low-medium heat for 10 minutes. After 10 mins of simmering, scoop out the veg and transfer to a food processor (I used my Nutri-Ninja), add a little of the stock too for blending ease. Blend until smooth and creamy and then pop back into the saucepan with the remaining stock. You may need to do this in batches depending on your blender size. Once all the veg is blended, give everything a last big stir to make sure the consistency is smooth and even.

Serve immediately, piping hot. Or store in glass jars and consume within 4-5 days.