Time to Detox

I decided to get a jump start on my New Year’s detoxification plan yesterday and have always found a good first step is making some sort of healthy, comforting, vegetable soup. I had friends over last night and we ate this soup accompanied by sweet apple sausages with yellow mustard and sauerkraut, bread and butter, grapefruit and avocado salad, honey-sesame covered almonds, Belgian beer, Jameson on the rocks, hummus and crackers, gherkins, leftover and slightly assaulted gingerbread men, and chocolate. Errrr, yeah, let the detoxification begin!!
Butternut squash soup has become a winter essential- I make it all the time. There are so many different variations possible, but generally I just chop everything up, submerge it in either chicken or vegetable stock, cook it until everything is tender, add some fresh grated ginger, and then use my trusty immersion blender to puree it. So simple and so delicious! With a spoonful of sour cream it is the perfect light yet satisfying dinner. My godmother first told me how to make this soup and she likes to sometimes sprinkle crumbled blue cheese on top- which is wildly good too!
Recently I have been adding a little brown sugar into the soup at the end to give it that added sweetness and depth of flavor. When I make it I just eyeball all the measurements, but here are some general proportions for a soup that will serve about six good eaters (as long as you also have other food to give them too, such as sausages, bread, chocolate, nuts…just kidding).

*Also congratulations to my friends Joel and Nomi who had a beautiful baby girl yesterday. Welcome to the world little Nora Bettina, and Happy New Year everyone!

Butternut Squash Soup
1 big butternut squash, peeled and chopped

2 onions roughly chopped
A few cloves of garlic, chopped
2 apples, peeled and roughly chopped
2 carrots roughly chopped
About 6 cups chicken or vegetable stock
1-2 Tbs fresh grated ginger
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
In a big pot sauté onions and garlic in a little oil. Add chopped carrots, apple, and squash. Pour in stock so that vegetables are totally covered and simmer until tender, about 20 minutes. Once tender, add fresh ginger, remove from heat and blend to desired smoothness. Adjust seasonings to taste- maybe add some brown sugar if you want.