Although I love living in a country that experiences four diverse seasons, winter is always way too long. And as a teacher, it’s hard NOT to pick up a few illnesses during the winter season at school. This soup is my remedy. It has turmeric, an immune-boosting, detoxifying anti-inflammatory, and ginger, a nausea-relieving, cancer-fighting, all-round great-for-you root vegetable. Let’s fight that cold together!

The best days are the ones where you get to walk through your front door, sniff the air and remember back to this morning when you threw your dinner into the crockpot, and now it’s ready for you. Now all you have to do is take your bra off, put your sweatpants on, grab your ladle and slurp away. MMMhhhhmmmmm.

I recommend having your veggies all chopped the night before, that way you can just throw them in the crockpot when you wake up and away you go. If you are a morning person, firstly, please tell me your secret, and secondly, morning chopping is also an option. Note: This recipe may also be made on the weekend.

I always start this recipe by tossing my chopped onions into my crockpot with some olive oil, turning it to high heat and letting them warm up while I prep the rest of my ingredients. The heat begins to soften them before everything else enters the pot and starts to crowd them. After the onions have softened up slightly, I add in the garlic, ginger and spices and toast them up until fragrant. I then put everything else in the crockpot, put the lid on and say, “Bye, see you in a few hours. I love you. Keep warm.”

If you are still reading this:

1. Thank you.
2. I’m sorry.

Let’s make soup!

Crockpot Ginger and Turmeric Immune-Boosting Soup

Serving size: 6-8

Prep time: 30 minutes

Cook time: 3-4 hours

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 small onion, diced
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 heaping tbsp ginger, minced
• 1 tsp dried basil
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 2 tsps turmeric powder
• 1/2 tsp paprika powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 cup carrots, diced (about 2 medium carrots)
• 1.5 cups celery, diced (about 4 stalks)
• 1 cup butternut squash, diced into 1/2 inch cubes
• 1 bay leaf
• 8 cups vegetable stock
• 1/2 cup red lentils
• 2 big handfuls baby spinach
• 100g vermicelli noodles (optional)
• Fresh cilantro or parsley for garnishing (optional)

Instructions:

1. Turn your crockpot on high and add the olive oil and onion. Let this heat up while you prepare all of your other ingredients, about 10 minutes.
2. Add the garlic, ginger, basil, oregano, turmeric, paprika, salt and pepper to the crock pot and stir around with a wooden spoon. Let the spices begin to toast and the garlic and ginger to become fragrant, about 4-5 minutes.
3. Stir in the tomato paste until everything is coated.
4. Add the carrots, celery, squash, bay leaf and stock. Put the lid on the crockpot and cook on high for 3-4 hours or on low for 5-6 hours.
5. About 45 minutes before the end time, open lid and add in the lentils. Close the lid again and let cook for the remaining 45 minutes.
6. When the soup is ready (vegetables are tender, lentils are cooked through), discard the bay leaf and taste, adjusting salt and pepper according to preference. Add the spinach and vermicelli noodles (if using), and put the lid on for 2 more minutes to soften.
7. Ladle soup into bowls and top with freshly chopped herbs.

NOTES:

Avocado is also a great topping for this soup.

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.

The post Crockpot Ginger and Turmeric Immune-Boosting Soup appeared first on Never. Not. Eating..

So, here’s a true story -once upon a time, I was looking through my fridge and there was some left over pumpkin, a pear that was nearing the end of it’s life and a perfect little squash. Therefore, I naturally decided to make soup. The end.

I know, I know – sounds weird, but trust me, they willingly found each other and are now happily married and ready to spend their lives together as one happy triad. Some things are just meant to be.

WHAT IS DAIRY-FREE BUTTERNUT SQUASH AND PEAR SOUP?

This soup is ALL the creamy and NONE of the dairy. It has everything that a great soup has – aromatics, body and flavour…it is the real deal.

The reason why I love this recipe so much is because everything is roasted beforehand and roasting means caramelization and caramelization means flavour! So cube up that squash, toss it in some EVOO and some spices, pop that bad boy in the oven and let it do it’s magic.

INGREDIENTS FOR DAIRY-FREE BUTTERNUT SQUASH AND PEAR SOUP

I love using simple and healthy ingredients for the majority of my recipes and this soup is no exception. Moreover, ingredients can easily be swapped or subbed for those of your choice, or what is in your fridge. For example, you might choose to use sweet potatoes instead of squash, cream instead of coconut milk or different herbs you have to use up – cooking is flexible!

ROASTING THE INGREDIENTS

Firstly, we are going to cook the vegetables. Since the squash takes longer to cook through, give it about 20-25 minutes to roast up, pull it out and add the rest of the ingredients to the sheet pan, toss with a bit more oil and roast for another 20 until everything is fork-tender. Browned edges are accepted and encouraged.

MAKING THE SOUP

Now it’s time to soupify! Remove the thyme sprigs and dump everything else into a blender with the pumpkin and broth. Add more broth if you prefer a thinner soup.

Blend ‘er until smooth.

While the soup is blending, place a large pot over medium-high heat with some olive oil. When the oil is hot, add a bunch of sage leaves and a sprinkle of sea salt and let crisp up for 1-2 minutes. Remove from pot and place on a paper towel to absorb some of the oil.

Turn the heat to medium-low, transfer the soup to the pot and add the coconut milk. Let simmer until the milk is fully incorporated and warmed through.

GARNISHING DAIRY-FREE BUTTERNUT SQUASH AND PEAR SOUP

Transfer to your favourite bowl and garnish with the crispy sage, flaky sea salt and a few grinds of pepper. I mean…Come on!

OTHER DAIRY-FREE SOUP RECIPES

Easy Creamy Cauliflower Soup (quick and easy)

Roasted Carrot Soup with Ginger (my absolute favourite)

Crockpot Ginger and Turmeric Immune Boosting Soup (come home to a comforting meal)

TOOLS NEEDED FOR THIS RECIPE

Click below to check out what I use to make this Dairy-Free Butternut Squash and Pear Soup!

This post contains affiliate links and I may earn a small commission when purchases are made after clicking the links, at no cost to you. Thank you!

Dairy-Free Butternut Squash and Pear Soup

Servings: 4

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 55 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 medium-sized butternut squash, cut into one-inch cubes
• Olive oil
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• salt
• pepper
• 1 pear (I used Bartlett), sliced
• 1 small yellow onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, smashed
• 3-4 sprigs thyme
• 20 fresh sage leaves, separated
• 1/2 cup pure pumpkin (optional)
• 1 1/2 cups vegetable broth
• 3/4 cup canned coconut milk
• 1/4 cup roasted hazelnuts (optional)*
• A dollop of dairy-free coconut yogurt (optional)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Place squash on a sheet pan and drizzle with one tablespoon of olive oil. Sprinkle over the cinnamon, nutmeg, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, a few grinds of fresh black pepper and toss together with your hands until evenly coated and then roast in oven for 25 minutes.
3. Remove the sheet pan from the oven and add pear, onion, garlic, thyme sprigs and ten sage leaves. Drizzle with a little more olive oil, salt and pepper and toss again. Create a “bed” for the garlic cloves by placing them on top of some of the other vegetables, so they do not burn from the direct heat of the pan. Roast for another 20 minutes, or until everything is fork-tender.
4. Remove from oven and discard thyme sprigs. Add everything to a blender with the pumpkin and broth and blend until smooth. Add in a bit more broth if you like a thinner soup.
5. While the soup is blending, place a large pot over medium-high heat and add one tablespoon of olive oil. When the oil is hot, add the remaining ten sage leaves and a pinch of sea salt. They should begin sizzling immediately. Let them fry for about a minute or so, until nice and crispy. Remove and place on a paper towel to absorb some of the excess oil.
6. Lower the burner to medium-low heat and add the blended soup into the same pot that was used to crisp the sage. Add the coconut milk and simmer for about 5 minutes.
7. Ladle into bowls and garnish with roasted hazelnuts, yogurt and crispy sage!

NOTES

*To roast hazelnuts, place them on a sheet pan and into a 350 degree oven for 8-10 minutes. Once browned lightly, remove and let cool. Rub them between your fingers to remove the skins.

The post Dairy-Free Butternut Squash and Pear Soup appeared first on Never. Not. Eating..