Let’s Eat: Baby it’s cold outside! Warm up with a bowl of soup

By Heidi Sutton

As the temperature drops and the snow falls, warm up with a creamy butternut squash soup or a comforting bowl of roasted vegetable soup, courtesy of McCormick Spices.

Coconut Butternut Squash Soup

YIELD: Makes 6 one cup servings

INGREDIENTS: 

2 tablespoons olive oil

3/4 cup chopped onion

4 cups peeled butternut squash chunks, (1-inch pieces)

1 medium green apple, cored and cut into 1-inch chunks

1/2 cup chopped pecans, toasted

1/3 cup orange juice

1 teaspoon ground turmeric

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 cup chicken stock

1 can (13.66 ounces) lite coconut milk

DIRECTIONS:

Heat oil in large saucepan on medium-low heat. Add onion; cook and stir 3 minutes or until slightly softened. Add squash, apple and pecans. Cook on medium heat 1 minute, stirring occasionally. Stir in orange juice, turmeric, nutmeg and stock. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer 25 minutes or until squash is tender, stirring occasionally. Cool slightly.

With center part of cover removed to let steam escape, puree soup in batches in blender on high speed until smooth. Return pureed mixture to saucepan. Stir in coconut milk. Simmer for 5 minutes. 

Ladle into soup bowls. Garnish with additional turmeric and finely chopped apples, if desired.

Roasted Vegetable Soup

YIELD: Makes 6 one cup servings

INGREDIENTS:

1 pound (about 5 large) plum tomatoes, quartered

1 pound (about 6 cups) fresh oyster or portobello mushrooms, trimmed

1 medium sweet onion, quartered

4 teaspoons olive oil, divided

2 teaspoons  sea salt, divided

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

1/2 teaspoon dried sage

1/2 teaspoon black pepper, divided

2 medium avocado, peeled, pitted and cut into 3/4-inch chunks

1 1/2 cups unsalted vegetable stock

1 cup water

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 450°F. Place tomatoes, mushrooms and onion in large bowl. Add 3 teaspoons of the olive oil, 1 1/2 teaspoons of the sea salt, thyme, sage and 1/4 teaspoon of the pepper; toss to coat well. In separate small bowl, gently toss avocado with remaining 1 teaspoon olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon sea salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Place tomato and mushroom mixture on one side of foil-lined shallow baking pan. Place avocado on other side of pan. Roast 35 to 40 minutes or until vegetables are tender and golden brown.

Meanwhile, bring stock and water to boil in small saucepan on medium heat. Cover. Reduce heat to low and keep warm until ready to use. Add the warm stock mixture and roasted tomatoes, mushrooms and onion into blender container, while keeping the roasted avocados on the baking pan. With center part of blender cover removed to let steam escape, puree on high speed until smooth. Pour soup into serving bowls or mugs and top with roasted avocado. Drizzle with additional olive oil before serving.