The hustle and bustle of the holidays have slowed to a halt. Leaving us only with Winter's chill and dreams of warmer days. This might be a hot take, but as soon as Christmas is over, I'm usually ready for Spring. I can't handle the short days, the sun setting at 4pm, and the best part of the day being when I go back inside to warmth. I live for sunny days, farmer's markets with fresh produce, and dining al fresco.
But, as always, I do my best to enjoy each season for what it offers. And there is no cozier season than Winter. Sitting by the fire, reading while the rain falls gently outside, and making delicious, warming soups.
Tonight, I decided to make a Butternut Squash soup recipe from my Cafe Gratitude cookbook. Back in October, we visited two Cafe Gratitude locations during our trip down to Southern California, and I fell in love.
Completely vegan menu and some of the most delicious food I've had in a while, that didn't make me feel sick afterwards. Somehow I didn't pick up their cookbook while we were there, but I was able to buy it on Amazon a few weeks ago! The recipes are somewhat lengthy, but I imagine that's what makes their food so delicious.
They are packed with whole food ingredients and loaded with veggies! Which I could always use more of.
This recipe called for all the good things. Carrots, celery, red bell pepper, and fresh herbs like rosemary and cilantro. I was able to pop outside to the rosemary bush and cut just enough off. The veggies and herbs were stir fried in olive oil and created the most delicious, aromatic smell.
These bowls were one of my Christmas gifts this year and I absolutely love them! They have the most beautiful floral designs and I've used them so much already for all of my baking projects.
These potholders are so cute and who doesn't love a pop of pink in the kitchen?
I love this dutch oven and I use it for all of my soup making and bread baking needs. The mint color is a cute touch and it's incredibly durable!
I made some adjustments to the recipe which I think gave it that sweet, delicious kick that we love in a butternut squash soup.
First, I added twice as much cashew cream as the recipe called for, to temper some of the chipotle flavor. I was not expecting it to be so spicy, so I needed to calm that down a little bit. Then, I added some coconut milk to add a little more creaminess to the recipe. And even though I'm not a huge coconut fan, this definitely kicked it up a notch! Finally, I topped off my bowl with a drizzle of honey and cinnamon and by golly, that made the recipe perfect!
If you are in the mood for a delicious, warming soup with a kick, indulge in the Winter season and make a butternut squash soup.
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