I have been busy making variations of butternut squash soup lately, this is the spicy version for those who like a little heat! I love butternut squash soup and I discovered it’s very quick and easy to make. Squash is a wonderful orange vegetable that is a good source of beta carotene, vitamin A, potassium and other good things your body needs. Feel free to substitute any other type of orange squash like acorn, hubbard or even pumpkin in this recipe.

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons Watkins grapeseed oil
1 large onion, diced
1 butternut squash, peeled & cubed
3 large carrots, peeled and sliced thin
2-3 cloves garlic, crushed
6 cups water, or more as needed
4-5 teaspoons Watkins chicken soup base
1/2 teaspoon Watkins cumin
2-3 teaspoons Watkins chili powder
2 teaspoons Watkins parsley
1/2 teaspoon Watkins black pepper, or to taste

Directions: Prepare vegetables as directed. Preheat a large saucepan over medium high heat, add grapeseed oil and onion. Sauté until the onion is soft and starting to caramelize. Add remaining ingredients, bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer until the vegetables are soft.

Purée the soup 1/3 at a time in a blender, food processor or vitamix. I like to blend it until it’s smooth and creamy, if you prefer you can mash vegetables for a chunky soup.

Tips from the kitchen:  you can garnish this soup with  a dollop of yogurt, sour cream or a swirl of heavy cream. Add a little extra heat with a dash of Watkins Jalapéno hot pepper sauce.

You can spice your soup just right when you order your pantry essentials from the Watkins US catalog or the Canadian catalog.