Orange Butternut Squash Soup (dairy free, gluten free)

Ready or not, like the flick of a switch, fall is HERE!  Away go the shorts and out come the cable knit sweaters, mugs of steaming tea and soup ladles in anticipation of recipes like this easy Orange Butternut Squash Soup…and just in time to grace the Thanksgiving table!

I was thrilled to partner with the Florida Department of Citrus again to come up with another healthy recipe to feed your families as we shift into a new season.  Truth be told, I love fall.  I’m always sad to see summer go, but adore this crisp weather and everything it brings with it.  Except for my birthday, lol, I could do without that!

Among many things, fall is a perfect time to update your recipe file.  The start of a new year seems to get all of the love in the health-kick department, but frankly I think that fall is just as appropriate.  Let’s face it, summer brings all sorts of indulgences with it and once September hits, most of us are ready to jump on the health wagon and clean up our kitchen game.

 

Stocking your kitchen with simple, wholesome ingredients is absolutely key to eating well.   You can have all the good intentions in the world, but if you don’t have the means to put a healthy meal on the table (in a flash), most people will reach for a less healthy option out of sheer convenience.

We keep a number of staples in our pantry including squash, onions and root vegetables like sweet potato (they keep for such a long time) and handful of items in our fridge that we stock on a weekly basis that includes kale, fresh herbs and Florida Orange Juice.  As a busy mom myself, I lean on ingredients that are versatile and can help me transform simple ingredients into healthy delicious meals that our family will actually eat (no small feat with kids, right!?).

Florida Orange Juice is packed with vitamin C, which helps support the formation of collagen, helps regulate iron absorption, transport and storage (important, especially if you are vegan) and functions as an antioxidant to fight harmful free radicals.  In fact, just one 240ml glass of orange juice provides over 100% of the recommended daily allowance (RDA) for vitamin C (one Canada Food Guide serving is equal to ½ cup).  Florida Orange Juice is also rich in potassium (for muscle function, maintaining fluid and electrolyte balance and supporting nerve transmission) and folate (essential for healthy red blood cells and for cell division; it helps to protect against neural tube defects during pregnancy).

Naturally sweetened by Mother Nature, Florida Orange Juice tastes amazing but has no added sugar. I’ve loved spending time in the kitchen creating new healthy recipes such as my Orange Smoothie Bowl, Creamy Orange Chia Pudding, Honey Orange Glazed Salmon with Orange Almond Couscous, or these easy Orange Chicken or Tofu Lettuce Wraps.  You can learn more about all the benefits of Florida Orange Juice and get more recipe inspiration by clicking here!

This Orange Butternut Squash soup is filled to the brim with colourful nourishing foods, is naturally sweetened by the addition of Florida Orange Juice (which also brightens the flavour), and can be made in a pinch (the whole soup comes together in under 40 minutes).  It also happens to be dairy free (vegan option below) and gluten-free.  This would make for an amazing first course for your Thanksgiving dinner but it’s also perfect for weeknight meals as it can be prepped and/or made ahead and freezes beautifully!  If you watched my Instagram stories when I first made it you would have seen how even Max (our 2 year old son) gobbled it up!

I’d love to hear your feedback below in the comments section if you make it!

Happy Thanksgiving!

xo

Tori

 

Orange Butternut Squash Soup (dairy free & gluten free)

Serves 6-8

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 35 minutes

 

Soup Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 cups diced sweet onion (1 large)
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1-2 tablespoons fresh grated ginger*
• 4 cups 1-inch cubed peeled butternut squash
• 2 cups 1-inch cubed peeled sweet potato
• 1 cup Florida Orange Juice
• 6 cups chicken or vegetable broth, plus extra to thin if needed**
• Salt and pepper to taste

*if you prefer a more subtle ginger taste use 1 tablespoon only

**use vegetable broth if making it vegan

 

Kale Chip Ingredients:

• 4 cups packed torn green kale (torn into bite sized pieces)
• 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• Sprinkle sea salt, to taste

 

To Make the Soup:

1. In a large heavy-bottomed pot heat the olive oil on medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring frequently, until transparent and fragrant, 5-7 minutes.  Add the garlic and ginger and cook until fragrant, 1-2 minutes.
2. Add the squash, sweet potato, Florida Orange Juice and broth, cover the pot, and bring to a simmer. Cook until the squash and sweet potato are soft and easily pierced with a fork, about 20-30 minutes.  Remove from the heat and very carefully blend the soup until it is smooth in a blender or with an immersion blender.  Thin with additional stock if needed, season to taste with salt and pepper and serve.  Sprinkle a handful of kale chips on top if desired!

 

To Make the Kale Chips:

1. Preheat the oven to 325F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Rub the olive oil into the kale, spread the kale evenly on the pan and sprinkle the garlic powder and salt on the kale. Bake until the kale chips are crispy but not brown, around 12-15 minutes.

This post was sponsored by the Florida Department of Citrus.  All opinions are my own!