Creamy Ginger Turmeric Squash Soup

Best Soup Ever

Pumpkins and squash are everywhere, and squash soup has been high on the to-do list. I’ve made several versions in the past, but this time I wanted to spice things up a bit and thought I’d add some ginger and turmeric. No joke, this may be one of my favorite soups, ever.

This creamy soup is so delicious and so filling it can really stand alone. Throw some cilantro and pumpkin seeds on top and you’re golden. Just like the soup.

This creamy butternut squash soup is full of goodness and robust flavor. With a touch of sweet from the squash and sour from a green apple, savory from leeks and broth, spice from ginger, turmeric, cumin and black pepper, and satisfying healthy fats from avocado and coconut cream, this soup captures the best of all worlds, in my humble opinion.

Even Better: Health-boosting benefits

The best part is that each of these ingredients is chock full of health and immunity-boosting vitamins and minerals. Squash is high in fiber, vitamins A and C, and an excellent source of manganese and potassium, which is a key component of blood pressure regulation. Green apples pack a punch of nutrition, as do leeks which are also cancer-fighting powerhouses.

And the spices are not just there for the flavor: they’re also chock-full of health benefits. Turmeric and ginger are powerful anti-inflammatories and cumin improves digestion and enhances immunity, just to name a couple of it’s myriad health-boosting benefits.

Garnish Generously

And truly, a generous garnish of fresh cilantro ups the flavor factor dramatically – something about it just works so well in this soup (as long as you’re not someone who thinks it tastes like soap!). Plus, it adds a major boost of bonus health benefits. Cilantro improves liver function and is a powerful detoxifier: it helps rid the body of heavy metals like lead, which can not only cause a host of health issues, but can also interfere with antibiotic efficacy.

Cilantro also has strong antioxidant properties that combat oxidative stress, lowers anxiety and improves sleep, helps balance blood sugar, prevents UTIs, lowers blood pressure, reduces cholesterol, relieves digestive issues such as nausea, indigestion, gas and bloating and protects against food poisoning, soothes skin irritations, helps support health menstrual function, and prevents neurological inflammation. Phew!

Finally, I added a sprinkle of raw pumpkin seeds which add a nice little crunch and provide a hefty dose of magnesium and some added protein.

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Creamy Ginger Turmeric Butternut Squash Soup

Creamy vegan, paleo spiced squash soup packed with anti-infammatory and immunity-boosting benefits 

Course Soup

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Total Time 40 minutes

Servings 4

Author Amanda

Ingredients

• 1 medium butternut squash, chopped
• 1 green apple, chopped
• 2 medium leeks, chopped
• 2 tbsp fresh ginger, chopped
• 1 heaping tsp turmeric
• 2 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp fresh cracked black pepper
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 3 cups vegetable both depending on size of produce and desire thickness, may add up to 1/2-1 cup more broth
• 1/2 medium avocado
• 1/4 cup coconut cream can sub full fat coconut milk

Instructions

1. Boil the butternut squash until tender, about 10 minutes. Drain and set aside. 

2. Add olive oil to the bottom of a large pot and heat on medium. 

3. Sautée the leeks and ginger with the turmeric, cumin, pepper and salt until tender and slightly browned. Add the Squash and apple and sautée until the spices are mixed in. 

4. Add the vegetable broth, covering the ingredients. Depending on the exact size of your squash and produce and desired thickness of the soup, you may wish to add an extra 1/2-1 cup of broth. I added 3 cups and it made a very thick soup.

5. Lower the heat to a simmer and cover. Heat for 15-20 minutes. 

6. Remove from the head and carefully add to your blender, or use an immersion blender. Add the avocado and coconut cream and blend on high until the soup is completely puréed. 

7. Garnish with cilantro or parsley and sprinkle with raw pumpkin seeds to taste. I like to add an extra dash of cumin and turmeric on top as well as sea salt and black pepper to taste. 

Recipe Notes

**may sub extra broth in place of coconut cream