Butternut Almond Soup

With cooler weather slowly creeping in, it's finally time to start making some lovely and warming soups. This soup recipe is vegetarian friendly, and can easily be altered to be vegan as well! Our Butternut Almond Soup uses just a few ingredients and doesn't take much time at all. It's the perfect quick meal, and it's filling!

Ingredients:
1 butternut squash, medium to large
1 cup of vegetable stock
1 yellow onion
1/2 cup of Sugar Plum's Pumpkin Spice Almonds
1/2 cup of heavy cream**
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon of cayenne
1 tablespoon of honey

Blend almonds into a paste, set aside.

Peel your butternut squash entirely. Cut off the top and bottom, then slice it in half right down the middle. Shell out the seeds. Massage with a little olive oil and place it in a baking dish. Add salt, pepper, and herbs if you have any. Bake on 375 degrees until you can "squash" it with a fork! It may take a while to reach this point, but you are free to do other things while it's roasting. You really want it to be super tender before you take it out of the oven. Cool it a little so it's easier to handle - please don't burn yourself! Smash the squash into a something like a "puree" and set aside.

Dice the onions and get them on the stove on low heat, slowly cooking until translucent. Stir often and don't leave the stove unattended. When onions are cooked, toss in the smashed butternut squash. Add a splash of olive oil, salt, and pepper. Pour in your vegetable stock. Whisk until all the ingredients are combined, and let simmer for 15 minutes. If it gets too thick you can thin it out with a bit of water (2 tablespoons at a time). After simmering add in your almond paste. This will give it a little more body as well as great flavor! Lastly add your cream, stir, and let it continue to cook for about 5 more minutes. Taste it and makes adjustments now.

To serve, garnish with fresh herbs and Sugar Plum Pumpkin Spice Almonds. The almonds give it a nice crunch! Enjoy!

** if you want a vegan soup, omit the cream and add 1/2 a cup extra of almonds, plus approximately 3 tablespoons water.