Gluten Free Butternut Squash Soup Topped with Spiced Pumpkin Seeds

September 13, 2013 Heidi Pyper

It went from the heart of summer heat and humidity to deep fall within 24 hours in Toronto this week. There are things I hate about our moody weather (like putting away winter boots and coats only to have to dig them out again in late April for a massive blizzard) but there I things I love that come with the changing of the seasons. In addition to looking forward to pulling on my favourite sweater and jeans, there’s the joy of changing up the menu. Who wants to eat papaya and paella twelve months a year? Okay, maybe don’t answer that.

Today it’s cold. I’ve switched off the air conditioning and turned on the oven to make a simple butternut squash soup. I admit out of the gates that I’m not great with soups, though I aspire to be. They never taste as good as when my mom (or anyone else for that matter) makes them. But this one, I think, gets a pass, because it has a couple of steps that make it a little more interesting than a straight-up butternut squash soup.

My mom has two tricks. First, she uses boullion. Make sure you find one that is gluten free. I’m using a brand called Harvest Sun, they are vegan, gluten free and yeast free. Second, she roasts rather than sautés the onions and carrots.

I’ve also got a little trick of my own up my sleeve: cumin and cayene pumpkin seeds. They give the otherwise mild flavoured soup a little kick.

Gluten Free Butternut Squash Soup Topped with Spiced Pumpkin Seeds

Ingredients

2 -3 Onions halved, then quartered
3 medium carrots washed not peeled
1 cube Gluten Free Vegetable Bouillon
1 Butternut Squash
Salt and pepper to taste
½ cup pumpkin seeds
1/2 tsp cumin
1/4 - 1/2 tsp cayene depending on how hot you like things.
olive oil

Method

Preheat your oven to 350 and coarsly chop up the onion and carrot.

Toss with olive oil and a pinch of salt. Roast the vegetables for a half hour.

You want the vegetables to be soft enough that they’ll blend into a puree easily. If a half hour isn't long enough, put them back in for another 10 minutes.

While the vegetables are roasting, cut the butternut squash up into 1 inch cubes and set to steam.

While the squash is steaming and the veggies are roasting you can make the spiced pumpkin seeds which are a nice topper to this soup, but also salads and stir fries, so do make a little extra.

In a sauce pan over medium heat add a glug of olive oil and the pumpkin seeds.

You want the seeds to be coated but not swimming in oil.

Add cumin and cayenne pepper and give the seeds a stir so that they are nicely seasoned.

Keep the seeds moving so that they don’t burn, about 3 minutes.

Once they start making a popping sound you’ll want to remove from the heat.

Once the roasted vegetables and the steamed butternut squash are soft you’ll transfer batches into a blender with about 3 - 6 cups of water, about half the boullion cube and salt and pepper until you have a consistency and flavour you like.

Transfer from blender to stove top pot to heat up.

Tread lightly with both water and boullion as you can always add more once it is on the stovetop.

The amount of water and bouillon will largely depend on the size of the butternut squash you've used and how thick you like your soup.

Sprinkle with seasoned pumpin seeds and serve.

Sweet Potato Chronicles

*Should you make enough to freeze, hold back adding all of the water to the batch you want to freeze, it takes up less space in the freezer and you can always add liquid when you defrost.