Hearty Autumn Squash Soup

Last night, I found myself in the mood for a little kitchen experimentation and decided to try something different. I love making soups as soon as there is the slightest chill in the air, so it was a perfect night to combine some different ingredients and have a little fun in the kitchen.

I ate the soup for lunch today and I have to say I'm so pleased with how it turned out! It was flavourful, filling, colourful and the aroma made my friends want to give it a try. It turned out to be the perfect hearty vegetarian soup for this time of year since I used one of my fall favourites: butternut squash and an ingredient I have been enjoying experimenting with lately: swiss chard.

I urge you to give this recipe a try and if you pair it with a piece of crusty french bread, some warm socks, a big blanket and a classic movie it will definitely make for the perfect autumn evening in.

Hearty Autumn Squash Soup

Preparation time: 15 minutes Total time: 30 minutes

Makes 8 servings

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

½ of a butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cubed

½ of a bunch of Swiss chard, washed, tough stems removed

4 cups of vegetable stock or chicken stock

1 can of cannellini beans or white kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1 red bell pepper, chopped

1 onion, finely diced

1 clove of garlic, diced

1 green chili pepper, chopped or ½ teaspoon of chili flakes

1 tablespoon of fresh rosemary leaves, chopped

salt and pepper to taste

Method:

Step One Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion, bell pepper, garlic and chili and cook for a few minutes until the vegetables have softened

Step Two Add the butternut squash and rosemary and cook until the squash has softened. Then add the beans, salt and pepper and stir gently

Step Three Add the chicken or vegetable stock and increase the heat to medium-high, allowing the soup to cook for about 10 minutes

Step Four Arrange the Swiss chard in bowls and spoon the hot soup over top, allowing the heat from the soup to gently cook the greens. Alternatively, if you plan to eat all of the soup in one sitting, you can add the greens at the very end of the cooking process in order to keep their nutritional content high and their colour a bright green

Bon Appetite!