Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

There are many things I love about this soup.

I love how it makes my house smell like fall. I love how it feels fancy enough for company and is also the perfect thing to prep on Sunday and serve on a busy weeknight because it tastes even better as leftovers. I love how filling it is, not always the case for a vegan soup. I love how it is a full of seasonal produce and how roasting the squash, which takes up very little time, makes it even warmer and flavorful. And, I love the Harissa seasoning!

Harissa originates from North Africa and is commonly found in a paste and eaten with everything - think of it like ketchup in the US or Sriracha in Thailand, although I personally think it tastes better than either of those options. The spice blend typically includes cumin, coriander, caraway, chili powder and paprika, so if you don't have Harissa and don't want to buy this incredibly versatile and delicious spice (clearly, I recommend adding it to your spice cabinet) you could make a mixture of those spices. My favorite thing about it is that it pairs brilliantly with vegetables, especially sweeter vegetables like squash and potatoes - two of my absolute favorite foods.

Okay, I'm done fangirling this soup. Can. you tell I love it? Try it for yourself and let me know what you think. Happy Autumn!

Ingredients

1 medium butternut squash, peeled and cubed

2 Tbsp olive oil, divided

2 tsp salt, divided

2 tsp pepper, divided

1 tsp nutmeg

1 tsp cinnamon

1 yellow onion, finely diced

1 Tbsp harissa seasoning, plus more for garnish on top

2 garlic cloves, finely diced

1 carrot, peeled and roughly chopped

1 Granny Smith apple, cored and roughly chopped

2 cups vegetable broth

1/2 cup coconut milk

Directions

Preheat your oven to 425°. Spread your cubed butternut squash on a baking sheet covered in parchment paper of a silicone baking mat. In a bowl, combine 1 Tbsp olive oil, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp pepper, nutmeg and cinnamon. Spread spice mixture onto the baking sheet to evenly coat the squash. Roast the squash in the heated oven for 20 minutes, turning once halfway through.

Heat a large soup pot or dutch oven over medium heat. Once heated add remaining olive oil to heat. Add diced onion, harissa seasoning and remaining salt and pepper. Sauté onion and spices for 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook for another couple of minutes, stirring frequently, until onion is translucent.

Add the roasted butternut squash, carrot, apple, and vegetable broth to soup pot. Let the soup come to a low boil on medium-high heat and then turn to low and let simmer for 20-25 minutes. The vegetables should be tender to poke with a fork. The carrot will likely take the longest, so test the carrot and simmer longer if necessary.

Add the coconut milk and puree using an immersion blender. If you wish to use a traditional blender, let the soup cool until warm and divide into smaller portions to blend.

Back to things I love about this soup. The perfect things to garnish the soup with are pumpkin seeds and a dash of harissa seasoning right on top. You can roast the pumpkin seeds in the oven for a few minutes while you are blending the soup and even season them with more harissa. It's a love fest. Enjoy!