PREP AHEAD

Soak 3 sundried tomatoes in 1 cup purified water for 15 minutes

PREP TIME

20 minutes

Yield

approximately 6 cups

INGREDIENTS

4 cups peeled and roughly chopped butternut squash
1 medium carrot
½ medium tart apple, roughly chopped (Granny Smith or similar)
2” piece fresh ginger
1 medium clove garlic
3 sundried tomatoes, soaked for 15 minutes in 1 cup purified water (keep the soak water!)
1 Tbsp coconut oil
1 medium avocado, peeled and pitted
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground cinnamon
pinch cayenne pepper (optional)
1 tsp kelp or dulse granules
¾ tsp high mineral salt
1 ½ cups purified water, hot if desired

DIRECTIONS

1. Place sundried tomatoes in 1 cup purified water and allow to soak and soften for 15 minutes while you prepare the rest of the bisque.
2. Place butternut squash, carrot, apple, ginger, garlic, sundried tomatoes and soak water, coconut oil, spices, seaweed and salt and water into a blender carafe and blend until smooth and creamy.
3. Add the avocado last, blending until completely incorporated and smooth.
4. Serve immediately and garnish with black sesame seeds, chives, or a sprinkle of cinnamon.
5. Stored in a sealed container in the refrigerator, Warming Butternut Squash Bisque will keep for 3 days.

A Note from Alicia:

This soup is a cold weather favorite of mine. It’s filling, satisfying and really tasty! Getting the butternut squash into useable form is the most time consuming part of this recipe, and that’s why this dish takes a little longer to make. However, you can get “double duty” out of your ingredients by choosing a squash that is medium to large in size.

Cut the squash in half by separating the narrow neck from the larger bottom, then use a sharp chef’s knife and stable cutting board to remove the tough outer skin. Remove the seeds with a spoon, and then cut the peeled and de-seeded squash into cubes. Store them in a sealed container in a refrigerator until you’re ready to use them. They will keep for approximately 3 days.

I like to make this bisque and a delicious breakfast dish in the same week. By doing this I get double duty out of my freshly peeled butternut squash. Enjoy!