Warm up your winter with squash soup

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Nothing is better on a cold day then a hot bowl of soup, which is why during the snowy months of the year, soup becomes a pretty big staple in my diet. Hearty homemade soups are always a better choice then store-bought ones. Not only are they healthier, more nutritious, and contain less sodium, but they also can be much tastier and be made to be any kind of soup one desires. Soup can be a great way to incorporate different kinds of vegetables into one’s diet, gaining plenty of vitamins, which might otherwise become depleted during this fruit scarce time of year.

One such vegetable is the squash, which is high in fibre and also offers a plethora of vitamins. Squash is not a vegetable many young people find appealing, which is why squash soup becomes the perfect option. The squash’s texture is no longer a problem, and with the right blend of spices you’d be surprised how good it will taste!

Squash soup and soda-bread, the perfect wintertime meal!
Squash soup and soda-bread, the perfect wintertime meal!

The recipe I chose to follow for my soup was skinnytaste.com’s Roasted Red Kuri Coconut Curry Soup, mainly because I had a red kuri squash  and because I love coconut. If you are unsure what kind of squash you’ve bought, Google “squash types” or describe the appearance of your squash in the search engine.

My recipe instructed me to roast my squash for an hour in the oven, but since I didn’t have the time, I microwaved my squash in a layer or water until it was soft and permeable when stabbed with a fork. In retrospect, I would suggest roasting your squash if you have time as this will add more flavour to your squash then microwaving it.

After all ingredients have been added to your soup, pour it into a blender and puree it until smooth to make the texture of your soup even and consistent. Just before serving, taste the soup and add any additional last minute spices which you feel would enhance the flavour. A touch of curry power can always add a hint of spice, or if your soup has a great flavour which you can’t quite taste enough simply add a pinch of salt to amplify it a little.

For a finishing touch, try garnishing your soup with a topping of bacon, pumpkin seeds or parsley.